Jurgen Klopp plays down Joel Matip injury fears after Liverpool defender is sent to hospital for shoulder tests
- Joel Matip picked up a shoulder injury in Liverpool’s defeat of Napoli
- James Milner and Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up knocks in closing stages
- Jurgen Klopp faces potential defensive headache with Joe Gomez already out
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was unaware Joel Matip had been taken to hospital for tests on his shoulder after victory over Napoli on Tuesday night.
Mohamed Salah’s first-half goal sent the Reds into the last 16 of the Champions League, finishing second in Group C.
But it may have come at a cost with James Milner and Trent Alexander-Arnold withdrawn late on after taking knocks, though Matip finished on the pitch.
Joel Matip had to be taken to hopsital after picking up a shoulder injury against Napoli
Jurgen Klopp played down injury fears over the Liverpool defender after the game
Klopp said: ‘Nobody told me anything about [Joel’s] shoulder, so hopefully that’s a good sign. Trent got a knock on his foot, we are not sure about what exactly it is. It is painful.
‘Millie had cramps – I hope it was only cramp. That was it, I don’t know anything else.’
Having lost Gomez for the rest of 2018 only last week, Klopp would be loathe to lose Alexander-Arnold ahead of the busy festive schedule.
Nathaniel Clyne has made only one appearance this season with Dejan Lovren filling in at right back for the closing stages.
Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up a knock on his foot, which Klopp admitted was ‘painful’
Midfielder James Milner also went off late on, but Klopp said that was due to cramp
Klopp would not be drawn on who he wanted to face in the knockout stages after Alisson’s heroics in goal assured them of victory.
‘The only thing I know is that a lot of the fans would to have revenge against PSG or whatever. We have no say in that. We wait for the draw – no problem with that.
‘Until 7.55 tonight, I was really not sure that we will be in the draw still and now we are in it. How could I sit here and ask for any team? I don’t care.
‘We are second in the group, so we will have an outstandingly strong opponent. That’s it.’