Klopp: Injuries Cost Liverpool Title Challenge

Amidst the news that Jordan Henderson will likely not return from his foot injury for the rest of the season, Jürgen Klopp has blamed injuries for Liverpool not being able to make a successful title challenge.

It makes sense: Liverpool have played a large part of this season without key personnel. Henderson aside, Sadio Mané, Adam Lallana, and Danny Ings are just some of the current players sidelined with injuries.

Klopp believes the league table would look different if it weren’t for the revolving A&E door through the season.

“I think we all agree that if we could have played our first 12 or 13 for the whole season.... we [may only have been] six, seven, eight points away from the very interesting region of the table,” Klopp said ahead of the Crystal Palace game (which Lucas, Klavan, and Matip may be out for).

“It’s not unlikely that it could have worked, but it’s not important now because we don’t know for sure. It’s not allowed to look back. We have to find a line-up solution for the next game.”

Hopefully the mounting injuries won’t affect a top four finish. Klopp isn’t speculating one way or the other, however.

“That’s not for me to judge. I don’t think about it, actually,” Klopp said. “I come in or sit at home and get an e-mail or whatever with all the information or face to face, whether a player is out or not. At this moment, I don’t think about the player any more because I cannot use him, not for the next game or the next session or whatever.

“My job is just to use all the resources, all the players that we have. That’s what I said from the first day.”