An insight into the extent of the personnel issues facing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Watford has been provided on Monday.

Liverpool on song

The Reds have of course enjoyed a fine opening to the 2021/22 campaign.

With seven fixtures played out in the Premier League, Liverpool sit in 2nd place, standing as the only club in the English top-flight to have remained unbeaten to this point in October.

On the continent, meanwhile, the Merseysiders have also impressed, racking up Champions League group stage wins over AC Milan (3-2) and, most recently, Porto (5-1).

One major concern amid an otherwise fine start to the season at Anfield, though, has been ongoings on the personnel front.

A host of Jurgen Klopp’s key performers have already been forced to contend with spells on the sidelines, including all of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Roberto Firmino, Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliott (expected to miss the remainder of the term).

Thiago & Alisson amongst doubts

In turn, upon the majority of the high-profile members of his squad departing for international duty last week, Klopp was left with no other option than to cross his fingers in the hope of a more favourable stretch of luck on the player front.

Unfortunately for the German, however, this has since proven far from the case.

Both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were last week confirmed to have picked up fitness problems, whilst away with the England U21s, and Portugal senior outfit respectively.

Both players, as a result, are viewed as doubts to feature versus Watford this weekend.

Liverpool’s concerns ahead of their trip to Vicarage Road, though, do not end there.

As per the Liverpool Echo, the Merseysiders are also sweating over the availability of all of Thiago Alcantara, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson and Fabinho – the former pair due to lingering injury problems, and the latter pair due to Brazil’s late finish to the international break (the Selecao will face off against Uruguay in the early hours of Friday, less than 36 hours before Liverpool’s meeting with Watford).

🚨 NEW: Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones for Watford, while there are question marks over Alisson and Fabinho’s availability. Trent Alexander-Arnold has missed Liverpool’s last two matches with an adductor injury. #awlive [liverpool echo] pic.twitter.com/gKFzejk7Vv

— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) October 11, 2021

 

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