Liverpool will wrap Joe Gomez in cotton wool and pray the defender does not become yet another addition to the snowballing injury crisis at the English Premier League club, manager Juergen Klopp said.
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas sustained a broken collarbone in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Saturday, leaving the Merseyside outfit with few options at left back, with first-choice defender Andy Robertson also sidelined due to a shoulder injury.
Gomez, who is right-footed, is likely to fill in at left back until Robertson returns.
“It is for us obviously really tough, it’s really tough. You have injuries sometimes and we accept all of them, but a broken collarbone is really bad because it just takes (so) long,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Burnley at Turf Moor.
“Same what Robbo (Robertson) had, a different injury but that takes long as well, how we all know.
“We all know we need luck in these moments to get through and now we will have Joey (Gomez) there and just have to make sure we put him in cotton wool and we have to make sure he is always ready for the games.”
Liverpool, second in the standings, next face 19th-placed Burnley, who beat Fulham 2-0 in their last league match to move off the bottom of the table.
Klopp said he believes Burnley are better than their results show. “I have watched quite a few Burnley games and I am pretty impressed by what they are doing — and on Saturday they got then the reward,” he said.
“We all know if you win once and you have a chance to play in three days again then you will want to win again and that’s exactly what we expect. We better be, and will be, ready.”
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is defending his team’s unwelcome position as the side with the most yellow cards this season.
Pochettino said Chelsea’s 56 bookings in 18 league games did not show a lack of discipline but rather his players’ desire to compete.
“We are in a big club, you feel the pressure,” Pochettino said on Monday. “When you don’t have maybe the experience, you make a mistake.”
Reuters, AP/PTI
