Jürgen Klopp Expects to Be Without 3 Key Players for Midtjylland Clash

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has confessed that Tuesday's meeting with Danish side Midtjylland will likely come too soon for trio Thiago Alcántara, Joël Matip and Naby Keïta.

The trio all sat out the recent 2-1 win over Sheffield United, after which Klopp suggested that the three players will be monitored daily and could well return to action on any given day.

That had prompted hopes that they could return to face Midtjylland, but Klopp admitted in his pre-match press conference (via the club's official website) that it is unlikely that any of the group will feature.

"It looks like we will need a few more days," he revealed. "For [Tuesday], they probably will not be ready."

Fortunately, there are no further injury concerns to report. Alisson made it through the Sheffield United game unscathed, meaning long-term absentees Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kostas Tsimikas and Virgil can Dijk are the only other players on the sidelines.

While Liverpool will be heavy favourites for the game, Klopp confessed that he is not taking anything for granted and he is looking forward to coming up against a Midtjylland side that has made waves through its innovative use of data analysis.

"Since yesterday I know a lot," Klopp said when asked how much he knew of Tuesday's opponents. "Before that, I knew a little bit of the story of the club, the things they try, using science in a different way, working very specific. [It’s] a very interesting project, I have to say.

"Since yesterday, I saw plenty of games and some summaries and now I'm in the picture. They are good, they are really good. The 4-0 against Atalanta was not a 4-0... it was a 4-0 because that was the result, but it didn’t look like this kind of game – they were really in the game, the possession was pretty level.

"They [are] a football-playing side, they have different ideas depending on what the opponent is doing, they are flexible as well, so it’s a challenge. It’s a real challenge and that's what we have to be ready for – and that’s what we try to be.

"As I said, it is interesting. Five years ago in my break, I was interested to go there for a while to Midtjylland or Brentford just to have a look, to see what they do exactly. But then I signed for Liverpool and I couldn’t do that! That just shows, it was already five years ago and it is still [interesting]. It is an interesting approach."

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