The Reds have a growing number of injury concerns ahead of a busy festive schedule

Ryan Gravenberch joined the growing Liverpool injury list after he limped off during Sunday’s drab 0-0 draw with Manchester United. The 21-year-old was forced off during his first taste of the encounter with the Red Devils with a muscle injury in a setback for his Reds development and Jurgen Klopp’s selection options.

The festive period has no let-up for the Anfield club and Gravenberch becomes the latest midfield casualty with clashes against Arsenal and Newcastle United on the horizon.

Liverpool injury news

Speaking after Sunday’s goalless draw with their North West rivals, the Liverpool manager highlighted that the club is facing several injury issues when their challengers for the European places raise complaints over similar problems.

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“We have our injuries as well,” said Klopp. “Nobody speaks about our injuries but we still have them, and it doesn’t help, obviously, with the amount of games especially.

“And it will be really tough. My boys looked, for me, that they are really ready just to give it a proper try (in the title-race) and we will see what that means exactly.”

The stalemate meant that the Reds missed the opportunity to return to the top of the Premier League ahead of the Gunners – who they face on Saturday (December 23). Two points separate the North London club and Liverpool but before their duel at Anfield, Klopp will be looking to progress in the Carabao Cup when West Ham United visit on Wednesday.

Ryan Gravenberch

Jurgen Klopp revealed after the draw with Manchester United that Ryan Gravenberch has suffered a hamstring injury. The Dutchman has made a bright start to life on Merseyside after a difficult year with German giants Bayern Munich.

Gravenberch is looking to play his way into the national team frame with Holland – who he hasn’t featured for since the Deadline Day switch to Liverpool after rejecting his call-up following his move. Klopp expressed his hopes that the issue wasn’t severe but cast doubts over his involvement in the upcoming three games, set to be played in a 10-day period.

He said: “Hamstring. We will see. They told me directly after the game that it got worse during the game. This means it’s not a bang. He felt it a little bit and it didn’t show immediately. We hoped it would go by but it didn’t. And there was this really intense sprint with the ball which ended by the 18-yard line with a collision.

“I hope it is not that serious but in the next 10 days we have three more games so I don’t know if he will be part of them or one of them. We will see, we have to wait for the scan obviously.”

Alexis Mac Allister

Alexis Mac Allister was forced off in the second-half of the 2-0 win away at Sheffield United in early December. The Argentine received treatment for a knee injury following a collision with two Blades players, which left the summer signing with a deep cut on his right leg.

The problem was enough for Mac Allister to miss the last three matches against Crystal Palace, Union Saint-Gilloise and Manchester United.

“I am obviously not a doctor but they have explained it to me every single day why he is not ready yet and it’s a bit more tricky than we thought in the first moment,” Klopp said speaking ahead of the Europa League encounter in Brussels last Wednesday (December 13).

“So the other boy stepped on his knee and the stud, the thing under the boot, and it went through the muscle pretty much to the bone. So now we have to wait until the bone is healed and until Macca can deal with the pain.

“It’s pretty painful and actually Macca is a super tough guy but we have to make sure there is no infection and nothing happens and that is important. So it was a really…I’ve never had this injury with one of my players before.

“But now we have it and I hope it will not take that long to heal but I would like to say to it is day by day and it looks like he could be ready for the next game but they say he will not be ready for that as well, so I hope the next three or four days he makes big steps and we will see.”

Joel Matip

Liverpool defender Joel Matip is beginning his long road to recovery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 32-year-old, who is the final months of his contract at Anfield, is likely to miss the rest of the season and the official Liverpool website posted a short announcement that he successfully underwent surgery on the problem.

He was left stricken on the Anfield turf in the 70th-minute of the dramatic 4-3 win over Fulham after an off-the-ball incident.

“It’s an ACL, ruptured, so that’s what I unfortunately expected from the first second. Everything looked like that. Very unfortunate,” Klopp said.

Andy Robertson

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has been sidelined since October after suffering a shoulder injury on international duty with Scotland.

The Tartan Army captain was forced to undergo surgery on a dislocated shoulder and has been out of action since – missing the Reds’ rise to Premier League challengers and Scotland’s successful Euro 2024 qualification bid.

It is expected that Robertson will return to first-team action in the New Year.

“I’m getting there, slowly and surely,” said the defender in November. “Surgery was a success which was the main thing, no complications from it or anything like that.

“It’s so far so good, three weeks since my surgery now so everything is progressing well, I have just got to take it bit by bit and week by week.

“Everything has gone well up to this point and hopefully that continues. Hopefully, before we know it I’ll be back on the grass.”

Diogo Jota

Diogo Jota has been out of action for Liverpool since their 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

The Portugal forward was forced off early in the second-half and has been absent for six matches. Jota was among the double injury blow from the point at the Etihad Stadium, after Alisson Becker suffered a hamstring injury late on and it was expected that while the Brazilian shot-stopper would miss five matches – Jota would be sidelined for longer.

Alisson’s problem was not as severe as first feared and has since returned but the 27-year-old is expected to face a longer spell out.

Klopp said on December 4: “He. [Jota] was running yesterday outside – on his birthday – and everything goes in the right direction, but nobody told me he will be back in team training today. No, there is still some time.”

Thiago Alcantara

Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara hasn’t featured for the Reds since their win over West Ham United in April.

A hip/pelvic issue has curtailed his involvement for Jurgen Klopp’s side but he is approaching a return with the German earmarking the beginning of 2024.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” he said at the beginning of December.

“And we cannot put any kind of pressure there as well, but we expect him to be back probably start of the New Year. It’s now already November, that would mean another four weeks, I would say that’s probably a realistic thing to try.

“We can’t wait, to be honest, to have him back. The player is just exceptional. I understand that you ask, but we can’t now have a week-by-week update, because that will not change a lot in this moment.”

Stefan Bajcetic

Stefan Bajcetic has endured a frustrating period for Liverpool after a number of injury problems.

He enjoyed a strong debut season, during a dismal period for the club, but saw his campaign end after a stress response in his adductor in March.

Bajcetic returned in September with outings in the Carabao Cup and Europa League but his involvement against LASK proved to be the last after suffering a calf issue.

“With Stefan, it’s again one of these things,” Klopp said in November. “Let me say it like this, Stefan’s quality, potential, talent or whatever, everybody could see and it’s incredible. What a player.

“But he was not ready yet, that’s how it is. They’re still growing, these boys. They’re all different. We have other players with a different [skeletal growth], a different body, and OK that’s fine.

“With others it’s a bit too early, so we just have to put the brake on again and just wait until that’s all fine. Then Liverpool FC has a wonderful player, a wonderful player, to use.

“But there’s absolutely no time that we can put on that, and we will not, we just have to wait. He’s here, he’s training, he’s doing his stuff. We know how good he is, now we have to make sure that we help him to get a body to show that – and not only once, but then three times a week. We will get there, very good news for the club. In the moment, we cannot use him and that’s all.”