A group of Liverpool fans have been discussing reports that Xherdan Shaqiri was absent from the club’s Melwood training facility earlier this week. Injury analyst Ben Dinnery highlighted via his Twitter account that there was ‘no sign’ of the Swiss international in the images posted on Liverpool’s website and suggested his absence was due to a calf problem.
The Swiss international joined the Reds from Stoke City for £13.23m in July 2018 after spells with Bayern Munich and Inter. However, the 28-year-old has been limited to just 10 appearances in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, scoring just the one goal in the Premier League victory over Everton back in December.
Here is what some the Anfield faithful had to say in response to Dinnery’s claim, relayed on Twitter by @TheKopiteOFF.
How do you have a calf injury, when you’ve not played in months.
— ger (@iconicGer_) May 20, 2020
Someone explain to me why the dude with the strongest calfs in the world has the most calf injuries??
— GermanLiverpoolFan (loaned to VfB Stuttgart) (@SilvanStaiger) May 21, 2020
Do people really believe that he is “injured”.I fail to think that a player who was barely a sick note before he came to us is constantly injured now
— Nabiesta (@Nabiesta1) May 21, 2020
His only had 9 weeks off?
— Shane Stewardson (@youngstewy94) May 21, 2020
Do you believe Xherdan Shaqiri will remain a Liverpool player next season?
Yes
No
You reckon he’s refusing to play or maybe got symptoms?
— Brogs (@Liketheboot) May 21, 2020
He was a training, picture of his arriving in his car….ANOTHER jarg story.
— Gray May * (@KopiteMay) May 21, 2020
NO WAY MAN
— Jaisal Singh (@jaisal_97) May 21, 2020
What do we think?
Whilst some of these Liverpool fans have aired their frustration at the possibility of Shaqiri being injured again, others had differing views. One suggested he could be refusing to play given the current global pandemic we are faced with and another supporter claims he saw a picture of the two-time UEFA Champions League winner arriving in his car. In our opinion, this story should be approached with caution given the report stems simply from the fact he wasn’t in any of the pictures.