After the repercussions of the Tottenham loss, Liverpool will be missing five first-team stars for the journey to Brighton to play in the Premier League this weekend.

 

Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota have been officially suspended.

Curtis Jones’ appeal against his red card against Tottenham was denied, which has caused Jurgen Klopp to face a difficult selection situation.

In Saturday’s violent 2-1 Premier League loss for Liverpool, Jones received a red card.

Following a VAR intervention in the 26th minute, the Liverpool midfielder’s original yellow card for a challenge on Yves Bissouma was changed to a red.

Liverpool appealed against the decision, but found out on Tuesday that their case has been rejected, meaning Jones will now serve a three-match ban in the Premier League.

While he could feature against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League on Thursday, he is unavailable for the trip to play Brighton on Sunday.

Diogo Jota is also suspended for the Seagulls game, having also been sent off against Spurs.

Jota picked up two yellow cards in as many minutes in the second half in north London to leave Liverpool with nine men.

He will now be suspended for one game, making him eligible to play in the Merseyside Derby on October 21.

Before being able to play again against Luton on November 5, Jones must miss that contest as well as the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on October 29.

The two suspensions are a big setback for Klopp, who is also dealing with ailments.

Injured during Spurs’ first-half stoppage time, Cody Gakpo was replaced at intermission.

Klopp was heartbroken to lose him after seeing him later limping and sporting a brace.

He said: “The biggest problem of the game, to be honest… before Cody Gakpo scored, we got a free-kick and he got injured and he is now with a brace limping down the corridor.

That’s my biggest problem, to be honest, in this moment. We lost two [to red cards] and maybe a third player – really bad, really bad. So, yes, that’s something we have to deal with obviously.”

Asked if it was a bad injury, he added: “Possibly, I don’t know. He wore a brace.

He scored a goal but afterwards, but after that shot he felt it even more. It was from the foul before.”

Liverpool are also without the injured duo of Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara.

Bajcetic came back from a long-term injury, but has suffered a minor calf problem, which Liverpool are being careful not to exacerbate.

“We try everything to get him up to speed without pushing him,” Klopp said.

“We make a very specific plan for him but in the end it’s disappointing for him, of course, but for us as well that he got another one. So we have to take him out a little bit.

He can work on pretty much everything else but not playing. That’s it, I would.

Thiago is still missing with a long-term hip problem, which has kept him out for the entire season so far.

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34-year-old now admits he never really wanted to join Liverpool back in 2011

Andy Carroll has claimed that he never wanted to leave Newcastle United for Liverpool.

Carroll became the Reds record signing on deadline day of the 2011 January transfer window, signing for a £35m fee.

Despite hope that he could form a devastating partnership with Luis Suarez, who signed on the same day, it never really worked out for Carroll at Liverpool.

And speaking to L’Equipe in France, the 34-year-old has now given a clue as to why – he didn’t really want to be at Anfield at all.

“From the moment Liverpool made this incredible bid on deadline day, I found myself in a helicopter, without really understanding why,” says the former England striker.

“As I was injured, I remember hoping to fail my medical.”

There were some bright spots for Carroll though, and in fairness to him he does go on to admit that the move ended up being a net positive for him.

“This [joining Liverpool] helped me grow up by taking me out of my comfort zone,” he says. “Because I knew nothing about life and football, apart from Newcastle.

Carroll admits Liverpool reluctancy

For those wondering why Carroll is speaking to L’Equipe of all outlets, the former Reds No.9 is now playing for Amiens, in the French second division.

Truly, it has pretty much all been downhill for Carroll ever since his move to Anfield 12 years ago.

There was a good six-year period at West Ham United following his exit from Liverpool just 18 months after he’d joined.

But by and large, the big, ponytailed hitman could never recapture the form that convinced the Reds to spend big on him.

Judging by his comments here, it isn’t hard to see why Carroll failed at Liverpool.

Of course, it must have been a wrench for him to leave Newcastle. But the chance to join the Reds was still a huge one for any player.

He had the chance to forge a partnership alongside one of the very best players of his generation in Suarez, but failed to take it.

Looking back, it would be interesting to hear if Carroll would do anything differently.

For now though, we wish him all the best on his new venture in France. Once a Red, always a Red, that even goes for the reluctant ones.