Liverpool team news: Klopp confirms fresh injury blow + updates on Jota and Keita

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed a fresh injury blow after confirming Fabinho will miss Liverpool’s trip to Leicester City on Saturday lunchtime.

Fabinho has only just returned to full fitness after missing three games with a thigh injury and he completed the full ninety minutes during Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City last weekend.

However, it appears the Brazilian international has suffered a fresh setback as Klopp revealed at his press conference today that Fabinho will miss the trip to Leicester tomorrow with a muscle injury.

The German boss described the issue as ‘little’ but doesn’t know whether Fabinho will be ready for Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first leg with RB Leipzig on Tuesday or the Merseyside derby next weekend.

Speaking at his press conference today, Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“Fab will not be available. He suffered again a little muscle issue, so will be out for this game.”

“I don’t know in the moment [if Fabinho will be fit to face Leipzig or Everton], we will see. I really don’t know.”

Klopp also provided an update on Naby Keita and confirmed the midfielder is still not back in full training as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury that’s hampered him in recent weeks.

Diogo Jota is another one of Liverpool’s absentees this weekend as the attacker is working his way back to fitness from a knee injury that’s kept him on the sidelines since December 2020.

The Portuguese international has been spotted in light individual training this month but Klopp says it will be another 2-3 weeks before Jota is back in full training with the rest of the squad.

He’s quoted by the Liverpool Echo as saying today:

“He [Kieta] had a hamstring, a slightly bigger one. He is not training with the team yet.”

“Diogo is close, but not as close as Naby. He is on the pitch as well. In rehab you have to train really intense before you get into team training. Diogo, 2-3 weeks maybe. That’s kind of possible. Back in full training maybe and then see how long it takes.”

Klopp has been dealing with a crippling injury list this season and the Liverpool boss will continue to be without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the trip to the King Power Stadium this weekend.

It’s not an ideal situation as Liverpool head to Leicester sitting 10 points adrift of Man City having played a game more so they cannot afford another slip-up tomorrow if they want to stand a chance of retaining their title.