Liverpool Face Additional Defensive Challenge Ahead of Wolves Match

Liverpool Captain Virgil van Dijk Receives Additional Ban, Further Defensive Issues Ahead of Wolves 

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will miss the trip to Molineux to face Wolves as he was handed a further one-match ban. The Holland defender was shown a straight red card in the first-half of their encounter with Newcastle United for a foul on Alexander Isak. Van Dijk was given his marching orders for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity which is an automatic one-match ban for the offence. On Friday, the Football Association (FA) sanctioned the centre-back further, slapping a further one-match ban on top of his suspension and fining the former Southampton man £100,000.

Liverpool mark the return of Premier League football when they travel to Gary O’Neil’s side in the early kick-off on Saturday, September 16. Before then, Jurgen Klopp will eagerly be watching how his players get on in their respective international fixtures and hoping they avoid injuries.

Ibrahima Konate was forced to withdraw from the upcoming training camp with Didier Deschamps’ side through the muscle injury that kept him out of Liverpool’s last two.

Even just a few weeks into the new season the Reds have a number of injuries to contend with. But the German boss will be hoping to have some players back fit after the international break, below is the latest Liverpool injury news:

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold took a knock in the 3-0 win over Aston Villa, limping off and straight down the tunnel with just under 20 minutes to play.

The full-back underwent a scan on Monday (September 4) and has been ruled out for two weeks after the results showed a minor hamstring strain.

Jurgen Klopp admitted afterwards that it was a hamstring problem and that the Scouse full-back would need a scan to discover the extent of any damage.

Speaking on the injury, Klopp said: “I asked him and he said it’s (his) hamstring. Not too serious is his opinion, but we obviously have to wait for the scans. Then we will know more.”

He is a doubt for the clash at Molineux, it has been reported.

Expected return date: Doubtful for Wolves, September 16.

Ibrahima Konate

French defender Ibrahima Konate missed the wins over Newcastle and Aston Villa with Jurgen Klopp hopeful he’d be fit for Wolves after the international break.

But with France initially selecting the centre-back for their squad to face Ireland and Germany, before swapping for Jean-Clair Tobido, it has raised fears that the injury is worse than first thought.

He was in attendance for Les Bleus 2-0 win over Republic of Ireland on Thursday.

Expected return date: Fit for Wolves, September 16.

Thiago Alcantara

Thiago Alcantara was close to a long awaited return to action but suffered a setback in training in recent weeks.

Jurgen Klopp previously confirmed that, like Curtis Jones, the Spaniard would be back in training after Newcastle.

However, the Spaniard fell foul of injury and has been forced to continue his recovery during the international break.

“Thiago had a little setback. He started training with the team and had a little setback so we have to slow down there a little bit,” Klopp said.

“It’s not cool for him, it’s not cool for us but it’s how it is. Thiago will use the (September) international break for that, to be up to speed I’m pretty sure. It should hopefully be enough. All the rest are available.”

Expected return date: Mid-September.

Conor Bradley

After flashes of promise during Liverpool’s pre-season preparations, Conor Bradley handed Klopp full-back disappointment as he suffered a stress fracture in his back.

He will be sidelined for around three months, with his inclusion in squads likely to be monitored in order to avoid further issues. The Northern Ireland international enjoyed a fantastic season with Bolton Wanderers, winning the Papa John’s Trophy in the process.

The young full-back showed potential with pre-season performances in Germany, playing 90 minutes over the course of two fixtures. He was then left out of the group that travelled to Singapore following a minor, unspecified injury and has not featured in any matchday squads since the start of the season.

Expected return date: November/December.