Liverpool Team News: Klopp – Duo To Miss Spurs Game + Defender Set For Surgery

Jurgen Klopp will take charge of his first game since becoming Liverpool manager when the Reds take on Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Ahead of the game, the German has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference and has given Liverpoolfc.com a full team news and injury update.

Klopp started off by confirming a huge injury blow with the news that Joe Gomez has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is therefore unlikely to play again this season.

The teenager suffered the injury during the closing stages of England U21’s victory over Kazakhstan earlier this week and he had been sent off for further assessment after the initial scan showed serious damage to his knee.

It appears the clubs worst fears have been confirmed and Gomez will now have to go under the knife before he begins the long road to recovery, but Klopp says he’ll do everything he can to help the youngster get back as quickly as possible.

The former Borussia Dortmund coach also revealed that Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino are edging closer to returning to full first team training but Saturday’s trip to Tottenham will come too soon.

Benteke has been nursing a hamstring injury while Firmino has been on the sidelines with a back problem and although they’re also likely to miss the Europa League fixture with Rubin Kazan on Thursday, Klopp is hopeful they could be back in contention for the visit of Southampton to Anfield next Sunday.

Klopp told the clubs website:

“Gomez came here and I met him for the first time. What a wonderful young boy – tall and muscles in the right positions.

“But [he has] an injured knee. It’s an ACL. Now we have to make a further diagnosis and we will see when he has surgery.

“From this point on it goes in the other direction and he can count the days until he’s back. He’s a very young guy. It was not the best day in his life, of course.

“But I’m pretty good at waiting for players, young players especially. This is his home and we will do everything so that he can come back as soon as possible.”

“Benteke and Firmino are on their way. They are back on the pitch, not in team training but they are getting better and better.

“I don’t know exactly when they will come back, but I hope next week into normal team training and then we will be able to see how good a shape they are in, how fit they are and how well they feel.

“We have to wait until next week. For sure, not Saturday. And Thursday, I don’t think so. Maybe [next] Sunday.”

Liverpool head to North London this weekend looking to kick start their season having won just once in their previous nine games in all competitions but they’ll face a Tottenham side that thrashed Manchester City 4-1 during their last outing at home.