UNABLE to regularly select his first choice XI, forced to ask players to play out of position, thrusting youngsters into the limelight and scrambling around for defensive reinforcements after injuries to his preferred centre-back pairing.
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| Jurgen Klopp is facing up to a mounting injury list at Liverpool |
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Jurgen Klopp has come to dread the drill.
For Liverpool 2016 read Borussia Dortmund of two years ago when a worryingly lengthy injury list hampered their ambitions and the queue to the treatment room seemed as never-ending as the one presently at Melwood.
Rewind to then and Manuel Friedrich was the name of the defender Klopp brought in on a free transfer in November 2013 after injuries to Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic left resources stretched.
Jurgen Klopp has come to dread the drill.
For Liverpool 2016 read Borussia Dortmund of two years ago when a worryingly lengthy injury list hampered their ambitions and the queue to the treatment room seemed as never-ending as the one presently at Melwood.
Rewind to then and Manuel Friedrich was the name of the defender Klopp brought in on a free transfer in November 2013 after injuries to Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic left resources stretched.
Former Germany international Friedrich had been without a club since leaving Bayer Leverkusen the previous summer, though despite making his debut in a defeat against Bayern Munich he was quickly overlooked by Klopp.
Therein lies the difficulty facing the Liverpool manager today as he considers a response to a deepening defensive injury crisis with Dejan Lovren joining the ranks of the walking wounded after sustaining a hamstring injury in the Capital One Cup win over Stoke City.
Philippe Coutinho had already departed with a similar injury when Lovren pulled up after a sliding tackle on Xherdan Shaqiri to compound Klopp's problems with Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel also out injured.
The pained expression on Klopp's face when Kolo Toure, who formed an excellent makeshift partnership with Lucas, then started rubbing the back of his leg in the final moments of Tuesday's 1-0 semi-final win was a picture. Thankfully, Toure only had cramp.
Liverpool desperately need cover, but finding a player who is surplus to requirements at their club, able to fill a void that may extend to next week's high-profile games with Arsenal and Manchester United and then who is willing to step out when players are back will be difficult.
Therein lies the difficulty facing the Liverpool manager today as he considers a response to a deepening defensive injury crisis with Dejan Lovren joining the ranks of the walking wounded after sustaining a hamstring injury in the Capital One Cup win over Stoke City.
Philippe Coutinho had already departed with a similar injury when Lovren pulled up after a sliding tackle on Xherdan Shaqiri to compound Klopp's problems with Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel also out injured.
The pained expression on Klopp's face when Kolo Toure, who formed an excellent makeshift partnership with Lucas, then started rubbing the back of his leg in the final moments of Tuesday's 1-0 semi-final win was a picture. Thankfully, Toure only had cramp.
Liverpool desperately need cover, but finding a player who is surplus to requirements at their club, able to fill a void that may extend to next week's high-profile games with Arsenal and Manchester United and then who is willing to step out when players are back will be difficult.
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| Klopp struggled with a similar injury crisis during his time at Borussia Dortmund |
It will be no consolation to Klopp that he has experience of this situation nor that his training methods are being questioned once again as to whether they are responsible the pile-up which has seen 24 different injuries since his arrival at Anfield in October.
By Christmas of the 2013-14 season at Dortmund, Hummels, Subotic, Ilkay Gundogan, Lukasz Piszczek, Marian Sarr, Marcel Schmelzer, Sven Bender, Sebastian Kehl and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had all missed a month of playing time due to injuries.
The emphasis was then pushed onto the likes of Nuri Sahin, Marco Reus and Kevin Grosskreutz to take the strain, leaving them susceptible to setbacks.
Klopp's voice was thick with sarcasm when asked at the Britannia if his training regime – which Liverpool's players commented on the intensity of when he take over – coupled with his demand for a high octane, Gegenpressing approach was contributing to the situation.
"Yeah that's it, we will look at our training!" he said. "We don't train, we only recover. That is the situation now, when should we train?
"There is no training. But no problem really, I am responsible for these things and if you want to make me responsible then it's ok. I know that's the next step. I know this. We have five hamstring injuries and it's my responsibility."
By Christmas of the 2013-14 season at Dortmund, Hummels, Subotic, Ilkay Gundogan, Lukasz Piszczek, Marian Sarr, Marcel Schmelzer, Sven Bender, Sebastian Kehl and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had all missed a month of playing time due to injuries.
The emphasis was then pushed onto the likes of Nuri Sahin, Marco Reus and Kevin Grosskreutz to take the strain, leaving them susceptible to setbacks.
Klopp's voice was thick with sarcasm when asked at the Britannia if his training regime – which Liverpool's players commented on the intensity of when he take over – coupled with his demand for a high octane, Gegenpressing approach was contributing to the situation.
"Yeah that's it, we will look at our training!" he said. "We don't train, we only recover. That is the situation now, when should we train?
"There is no training. But no problem really, I am responsible for these things and if you want to make me responsible then it's ok. I know that's the next step. I know this. We have five hamstring injuries and it's my responsibility."
The schedule Liverpool face – they could play eight games in January alone – is punishing, but there has been a chance on the training pitch for the squad to adjust to.
Klopp oversees many 11 v 11 practice sessions on bigger pitches than predecessor Brendan Rodgers, who favoured sessions in smaller areas with lower intensity.
The irony is that Klopp – who once pulled a muscle himself when celebrating a Dortmund win - has yet to implement the double training sessions he favoured in Germany.
Two sessions a day? Right now he will settle for a head count that allows him to fulfil one.
Liverpool's injury list in full
Mamadou Sakho – Knee
Dejan Lovren – Hamstring
Philippe Coutinho – Hamstring
Divock Origi – Hamstring
Daniel Sturridge – Recovering from hamstring
Jordan Rossiter – Hamstring
Jordan Henderson – Heel
Danny Ings – Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Joe Gomez – ACL
Jon Flanagan – match fitness
Martin Skrtel - Hamstring
Klopp oversees many 11 v 11 practice sessions on bigger pitches than predecessor Brendan Rodgers, who favoured sessions in smaller areas with lower intensity.
The irony is that Klopp – who once pulled a muscle himself when celebrating a Dortmund win - has yet to implement the double training sessions he favoured in Germany.
Two sessions a day? Right now he will settle for a head count that allows him to fulfil one.
Liverpool's injury list in full
Mamadou Sakho – Knee
Dejan Lovren – Hamstring
Philippe Coutinho – Hamstring
Divock Origi – Hamstring
Daniel Sturridge – Recovering from hamstring
Jordan Rossiter – Hamstring
Jordan Henderson – Heel
Danny Ings – Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Joe Gomez – ACL
Jon Flanagan – match fitness
Martin Skrtel - Hamstring
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