Liverpool look set to be without Thiago Alcantara for their crucial clash with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
The Spanish international has missed seven games with a calf issue, but he was expected to have recovered by the end of the last international break. However, that’s not been the case and it looks like he won’t be ready to play this weekend either.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight Extra Show, a Redmen TV Club Legend sent in a question for Goal’s Neil Jones about the likelihood of the cultured midfielder featuring against Manchester United on Sunday.
Neil said:
“It doesn’t look like it will be this weekend. I wonder whether he might pencil Preston [in the EFL Cup] in as a look? It would feel a natural one if you’ve got to give him half an hour or something like that. It’s not great, is it? It’s twice that’s happened, where it’s a ‘minor injury’ for Thiago and then it extends, and all of a sudden, it’s a month, then all of a sudden, it’s two months. You’re thinking, ‘Hang on, when are we going to see this guy?’ It’s obviously a bad calf injury.”
Redmen Reacts
Thiago has had a frustrating Liverpool career thus far. He showed in the 2-0 away victory against Chelsea and 2-2 draw at Goodison Park last season that he is capable of orchestrating play for the Reds.
Unfortunately, the Spaniard’s longest run in the team coincided with some of Liverpool’s worst results since the dark days of Roy Hodgson. Liverpool now appear to be ticking again, but the added flair and vision of Thiago would come in handy as they try to maintain a title challenge.
Hopefully he can get some minutes into his legs against Preston next Wednesday as he’s certainly going to be needed as the fixtures come thick and fast over the next few weeks.
TO HEAR MORE FROM NEIL JONES ON MO SALAH, CURTIS JONES AND THE JANUARY TRANSFER MARKET, CLICK HERE.
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