Jurgen Klopp claims injuries have prevented his side from challenging for Premier League title

JURGEN Klopp claimed casualties have prevented Liverpool from gunning for the title as they face another injury crisis this weekend.

Dejan Lovren was the only fit recognised central defender to train on Thursday, with Ragnar Klavan, Joel Matip and Lucas Leiva all struggling with knocks.

Joe Gomez – who has not started a Premier League game since September 2015 – could be called upon as emergency cover against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

And Klopp insisted Liverpool could have pushed Chelsea and Tottenham all the way this season had it not been for fitness issues.

‘I think we all agree that if we could have played our first 12 or 13 for the whole season… we are only six, seven, eight points away from the very interesting region of the table,’ Klopp said.

‘It’s not unlikely that it could have worked, but it’s not important now. Look at the injuries we’ve had – not a lot of muscle injuries, which are always a sign of intensity. It’s all about individual situations.’

Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League with their first choice defensive pairing of Lovren and Matip, indicating that Klopp speaks from a position of strength by suggesting they could have had a say.

The German also admitted there is work to be done at the back, Liverpool having conceded almost double Tottenham’s 22 goals this season.

‘The number of goals we conceded is absolutely too high,’ he added. ‘It is really rare in my personal history that we concede goals like that big number.

‘We will work on it 100 per cent, but it is not because there is a fault in our general defending style. It is not that we are too high or counter attacking.’

 

SOURCE: DAILYMAIL