Liverpool player's injury raises concerns about future with club

Worries that Joel Matip may have played his last game for Liverpool due to a knee injury that might keep him out for months have been raised.

A new record number of injuries have occurred in the Premier League as of late. During the first three months of the 2023-24 English top flight, there have been around 200 injuries. Expert statistics analyst Ben Dinnery of Premier Injuries claims a 15% rise as compared to the previous four seasons, as per BBC.

The injury epidemic continues to worsen, and Liverpool’s defense is the latest casualty. Matip is waiting for the scan findings after suffering an injury in the second half of the thrilling 4-3 win against Fulham last Sunday.

What did Jurgen Klopp say?

Seizing the opportunity presented by Ibrahima Konate’s fitness challenges, the Cameroonian reclaimed his position as Virgil van Dijk’s consistent defensive partner for the current season. He started in nine league games, solidifying his role alongside the Dutchman.

During Fulham’s weekend visit to Anfield, the 32-year-old was once again handed the nod. Despite that, he only got 69 minutes of playing time. The unfavorable outlook was acknowledged right away by Jurgen Klopp.

Although Klopp confirmed in Tuesday’s news conference that the former Schalke player will not be playing for the club for the foreseeable future, the results of Matip’s scans are still pending: ‘It doesn’t look great’ … but we have to wait for the scans and the scan isn’t here yet.

“You can imagine it doesn’t look great. It is never good news [when a doctor says that immediately]. I’ve never had that in all my years where someone says: ‘Oh my God, it’s completely wrong and there’s nothing wrong, he can play tomorrow.’ It doesn’t happen.”

Joel Matip injury puts question marks on Liverpool future

Unfortunately, Matip’s knee injury will keep him out of action for “several months,” according to a report in The Guardian. He may just be able to make a respectable comeback before the season ends. That indicates he may have played in the Reds’ last game.

The 32-year-old’s contract will expire in the summer, allowing him to start negotiations with international teams in January. Along with losing his starting spot to a fully healthy Konate, he is not anticipated to secure an extension from the Anfield side.

But rumor has it that Klopp is ready to greenlight a new contract for Matip. The defender joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016. The defender has scored 11 goals and supplied six assists in 201 appearances.

However, since leaving the Bundesliga, the former Cameroon international has suffered through a string of injuries. Due to a history of knee injuries, he sat out a significant portion of the 2019-20 season. He did the same in 2020-21 due to an ankle issue.

The Reds’ journey to Premier League cellar-dwellers Sheffield United on Wednesday will be without their starting center-back. On Dec. 9, at Selhurst Park, Liverpool faces Crystal Palace, and Matip will not feature.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.