Joel Matip injury news: Liverpool could be forced into transfer market, says Jurgen Klopp

The injury to Matip, with Fabinho absent too, only emphasises the club's need to find a solution to a staggering issue that could harm their campaign

(Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I)

Liverpool’s mountain of problems at centre-back worsened on Thursday night as Jurgen Klopp confirmed Joel Matip suffered ankle ligament damage in the 3-1 victory over Tottenham, leaving the club with no fit senior options in the position again.

The 29-year-old had only returned from a spell on the sidelines last week, but is now in danger of missing the majority of the campaign along with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

Midfield anchor Fabinho, who had been covering in the heart of defence, was not in the squad altogether at Spurs due to a muscle issue.

Captain Jordan Henderson, filling in at the back, had two partners with Nathaniel Phillips playing the second half, taking Liverpool’s combinations at centre-half to 16 for the season.

Klopp conceded the situation “is unbelievably strange” with all the setbacks coming in the same area of the pitch.

When asked if Liverpool will now have to be forced into the market ahead of Monday’s deadline having not expected to make a signing, the manager responded: "You can imagine that we think about everything. We think about it the whole time.

“It’s about doing the right thing. I’m not picky, but we need to find the right player.

"If you have a centre-half available at a reasonable price and the quality we need, then you can send me a message and I will go for it.

"We cannot just bring a body in.”

Klopp admitted after Liverpool's defeat at Burnley that he had made recommendations over a centre-back, which would help the champions have greater stability in certain situations, but he “cannot spend the money".

The injury to Matip, with Fabinho absent too, only emphasises the club's need to find a solution to a staggering issue that could harm their campaign.