Liverpool were handed a fresh injury blow on Thursday, and it’s one which could have Reds fans pounding the nearest wall in frustration.
As reported by Paul Joyce for The Times, Thiago Alcantara faces yet another spell on the sidelines after he picked up a muscle problem during his brief appearance off the bench in the final few minutes of the 3-1 loss to Arsenal last Sunday.
That substitute outing was his first matchday action in just over nine months, having been ruled out for a lengthy period due to a long-standing hip issue, and it may now raise serious concerns as to his future at Anfield, with the 32-year-old into the final five months of his £200,000-per-week contract (Capology).
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Thiago’s cameo outing at the Emirates Stadium was one of the very few positives that Liverpool could take from that game, but sadly it’s proven to be a false dawn after this latest setback.
He’s already missed more than 100 matches through injury since joining the Reds in September 2020 (Transfermarkt), a damning statistic which threatens to overshadow just how marvellous a footballer he’s been when fit and available.
While it may seem harsh to let a player of his quality slip quietly out the back door, it’s becoming increasingly harder to argue for his contract to be renewed beyond its current June expiry. For the squad’s third-highest earner (Capology) to have played only five minutes of football six months into the season just isn’t sustainable.
No timeframe has yet been put on the length of time that Thiago will now sit out after his latest body blow – Jurgen Klopp might elaborate when speaking to the press tomorrow ahead of the Burnley clash – but hopefully the 32-year-old can still play a valuable part in what’s increasingly looking like his final campaign at Anfield.
#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️