Klopp’s fortunes took a turn for the better when Liverpool beat Stoke 1-0 in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.
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Liverpool’s Brazilian worldwide Philippe Coutinho faces up to three weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, coach Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Thursday.
“Phil’s [injury] is more serious than Dejan and Kolo but none of these players will be available tomorrow”, Klopp said.
To compound Lovren’s absence, fellow centre-back Kolo Toure, who finished the game at Stoke with cramp, will also be unavailable, leaving the German with no fit central defenders in his first-team squad.
The Liverpool manager said that the injury troubles overshadowed what he felt was a much better performance from his players following the disappointing display they produced in losing 2-0 at West Ham in the Premier League last Saturday.
“We will pay big respect and I spoke to the players before the semi-final to talk about the importance of the competitions”.
Jurgen Klopp’s mind must be going through a carousel of emotions at present. “But I don’t think these injuries have got anything to do with any changes to our training”.
“We have thought about nothing else for the last few days”, said the Liverpool manager. That’s all I can say because at this moment I don’t know who is available.
However, Klopp concluded that “as a football game” and considering “our start, how we continued, how we stood in the game and how we defended first the playing build-up of Stoke, then the long balls”.
“We have to take the situation and we go to Exeter, it is a great tournament”.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager hinted that January transfers were possible as a effect, while insisting that his training methods are not to blame for the hamstring injuries to several of his players.
“These guys are young, they’re fit, they can recover quickly but even with those factors and an wonderful medical team they’re still struggling”.
Villa is facing relegation after winning only once in 20 Premier League games this season, so the FA Cup will come as a respite.
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Statistics suggest Liverpool are running an average of six kilometres more during matches under Klopp than when Brendan Rodgers was in charge and completing more sprints per game.
