December 07, (THEWILL) – Liverpool’s defence has been dealt a major blow, with manager, Jurgen Klopp, confirming centre-back, Joel Matip, has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will likely miss the remainder of the 2023/2024 season.
Speaking after Liverpool’s 2-0 English Premier League win over Sheffield United, Klopp revealed Matip sustained the serious knee injury after awkwardly turning in the 32-year-old’s most recent appearance against Fulham. Subsequent scans confirmed the Reds’ worst fears – a ruptured ACL. “That’s what I unfortunately expected from the first second. Everything looked like that. Very unfortunate”, Klopp stated.
ACL injuries typically require surgery and months of rehabilitation, meaning Matip looks almost certain to be ruled out for the rest of this campaign. His absence leaves Liverpool with other central defensive options, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah, for the upcoming months, potentially prompting the Reds to dip into the January transfer market.
Despite the setback, Liverpool remain firmly in the EPL title mix after van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai goals earned a 2-0 win over Sheffield United. Klopp’s charges continue applying pressure on league leaders, Arsenal, while also progressing smoothly through their Europa League group.
With Matip’s contract expiring this summer, it remains unclear whether the injury-prone defender has played his final match for the Anfield club. Liverpool have previously been linked with reinforcements like Sporting CP’s Gonçalo Inácio and SL Benfica’s António Silva. Matip had started nine of Liverpool’s 14 league games this term before the latest setback.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
