Liverpool will be without Fabinho this weekend and Jurgen Klopp could not put a date on when the versatile Brazilian is likely to return to fitness.
Fabinho was forced out of the Champions League win over Midtjylland on Tuesday night with a hamstring problem, which was the last thing Klopp needed as he was already filling in for the injured Virgil van Dijk at centre-back.
The German played down the 27-year-old’s injury as ‘little’ but confirmed that he will not be playing against West Ham on Saturday evening and may well miss matches after that as well.
‘Fab is not in, a little injury, out for the weekend and slightly longer but all the others are in contention,’ Klopp told a press conference on Friday.
Klopp said the rest of his squad are in contention, but he is not certain on whether that will include the pair of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita, both of whom have been recovering from injury.
The Reds boss could not confirm whether they will feature against the Hammers, but did suggest their returns were imminent.
‘Both are in a good way,’ he said. ‘That’s how it is with recovery. You saw what happened with Thiago. It needs time to settle but we don’t know exactly how long.
‘He is desperate to make the next steps. If he is ready for tomorrow, we will see. It’s the same for Naby, it’s a different type of injury.’
Klopp will have to decide on who he partners with Joe Gomez in central defence, with either a returning Matip or youngster Rhys Williams who came on for Fabinho in midweek and has impressed recently.
‘I can not say too much about his progress in the last few years but I can in the last few weeks and months. He has been exceptional,’ said Klopp of the teenage defender.
Liverpool take on West Ham in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday.
