Sports

Liverpool injuries 2022/23: Timeline, expected return dates

Liverpool are dealing with a build up of injuries at a vital stage of the season that is unlikely to make recovering from their disappointing start to the campaign any easier.

The Reds fell to a defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend. But while only their second domestic defeat of 2022/23, Jurgen Klopp’s side have won just two of eight games so far.

Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara have recovered from injury problems earlier in the season, but Liverpool still have seven players sidelined – a mixture of short-term and longer-term problems.

Curtis Jones

Of all the players currently out of action for Liverpool, home-grown midfielder Curtis Jones has been described by Klopp as the ‘closest’ to getting back onto the pitch after training since 6 October. The 21-year-old hasn’t featured since coming off the bench in the Community Shield because of a stress fracture in his leg.

Expected return: Mid-October
Games he could miss: Rangers (A)

Andrew Robertson

Andrew Robertson last featured for Liverpool in the early September defeat to Napoli in the Champions League due to a knee injury suffered in the build up to the Ajax game but isn’t much behind Jones in terms of his return timeframe. The Manchester City clash on 16 October is possible.

Expected return: Mid-October
Games he could miss: Rangers (A)

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Already under fire over his patchy form, Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered an ankle injury in the first half against Arsenal and was withdrawn at half-time. Reports have suggested the right-back will be sidelined for two weeks, which is set to signal Joe Gomez’s return to the starting XI.

Expected return: Late October
Games he could miss: Rangers (A), Man City (H), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Ajax (A)

Naby Keita

A muscle injury has resulted in Naby Keita not playing since appearing as a late substitute in the Community Shield back in July. The last time he was even named on the bench was the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in early August, but the midfielder has been able to do what Klopp has described as ‘big sessions’ in training and isn’t too far away from being fit again.

Expected return: Late October
Games he could miss: Rangers (A), Man City (H), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Ajax (A), Leeds (H)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

A torn hamstring in pre-season is responsible for another injury hit campaign for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He hasn’t been able to register any minutes so far as he continues to recover but is in an similar boat to Keita regarding the timeframe for his return whereby he is now at least able to do more and more work in training to build strength and fitness.

Expected return: Late October
Games he could miss: Rangers (A), Man City (H), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Ajax (A), Leeds (H)

Joel Matip

Joel Matip had only started four games in all competitions after recovering from a previous injury problem until being ruled out again. The centre-back was substituted in the second half of the Arsenal game and is facing two or three weeks on the sidelines. Ibrahima Konate’s recent return from his own injury layoff came at the exact right time.

Expected return: Late October/early November
Games he could miss: Rangers (A), Man City (H), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Ajax (A), Leeds (H), Napoli (H)

Luis Diaz

Only Roberto Firmino (6) has scored more Premier League goals for Liverpool this season than January arrival Luis Diaz’s three. The Colombian has been increasingly vital since the summer departure of Sadio Mane but was another casualty of the Arsenal game, suffering a knee injury that is likely to rule him out of action for at least the next 10 games.

Expected return: December
Games he could miss: Rangers (A), Man City (H), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Ajax (A), Leeds (H), Napoli (H), Tottenham (A), Derby (H), Southampton (H)

Arthur Melo

Barely any sooner had he joined Liverpool, on-loan midfielder Arthur Melo became a long-term absentee after the decision was made for him to undergo surgery on a muscle injury suffered in the build up to the recent Champions League win over Rangers. It is a major blow to the Brazilian, who had even hired a personal physio, fitness coach and nutritionist upon arriving at the club.

Expected return: January/February
Games he could miss: Rangers (A), Man City (H), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Ajax (A), Leeds (H), Napoli (H), Tottenham (A), Derby (H), Southampton (H), Aston Villa (A), Leicester (H), Brentford (A), Brighton (A), Chelsea (H), Wolves (A), Everton (H)

Add Comment

Click here to post a comment

Categories

Newsletter

Loading