Liverpool have been dealt a worrying injury blow ahead of their Merseyside derby clash against Everton.
The Reds head into Monday night’s match against their close rivals off the back of a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Wolves last weekend.
Looking ahead to the clash at Anfield, the home side will undoubtedly be hoping to get back to winning ways against the Toffees, but may have to do it without one of their key players.
Speaking in his latest press conference (via The Athletic), Jurgen Klopp revealed that Thiago has not been training this week due to an issue with his hip, making him a doubt for Monday’s Merseyside showdown.
Klopp had this to say on the situation.
He said: “He has some problems, I have to ask what I’m allowed to say. His hip flexor, something like this. That’s it pretty much. He wasn’t able to train.”
This season has seen the midfielder make 24 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, starting 22 of them.
The Spaniard’s efforts in the Premier League this term have seen him prove how much of a top player he is in the middle of the park on and off the ball.
For example, from an attacking point of view, Thiago has the highest total of progressive passes (107) out of any midfielder or attacker in Klopp’s squad as well as the highest percentage for successful take-ons (67.9%) by the same criteria.
Would Thiago's absence be a big blow for Liverpool on Monday?
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Then from a defensive standpoint, the midfielder has the highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (59) in the entire squad.
Bearing in mind how Everton managed to secure a win against league leaders Arsenal in their previous outing, having someone like Thiago in the team that can impact both ends of the pitch would surely make him an important figure for his side on Monday.
Moving forward, if the 31-year-old ends up missing the upcoming derby, this would be a significant blow to the Reds and their chances of securing a positive result.