Klopp Talk: Liverpool Without Thiago, Gakpo, and Bajcetic

Conor Bradley, too, is in recovery — though all are expected back sooner rather than later.

The upcoming international break looks to be an important marker for Liverpool players’ recoveries, with head coach

Jürgen Klopp listing it as the target for a number of his men.

Cody Gakpo, who left the travesty that was Liverpool’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur in a boot, is recovering well, and

should be back in the side following the break, per Klopp:

“Cody, there is a good chance. He is already out of the brace, walks normal around, so from all the very, very bad

opportunities and possibilities injury-wise, I think he nearly got the best but is still injured.”

Thiago, who had surgery for a hip issue at the end of last season, has faced another setback and is not yet ready to

feature for his first time this campaign:

“It’s absolutely irritating, especially for [Thiago] himself. He has experienced two minor setbacks in his

rehabilitation, enough to remove him from the pitch once more. Though somewhat similar, the injury was obviously not the same.

Identical frustrations to those of his more senior Spanish counterpart have plagued Stefan Bajcectic:

It’s as annoying for me as it is for Stefan Bajcetic, who was there and played for a little while before feeling something

different. Sometimes that is how it is after long-term injuries.

“I don’t know and I will not put pressure on that [Thiago and Bajcetic’s return] because I can’t anyway. If they will be

back after the internationals, we will see that. Hopefully, it would be cool.”

The boss, then, is optimistic, if unable to confirm a date supporters should expect to see the midfielders.

Conor Bradley, too, has been recovering from an issue, though Klopp notes that the club is more cautious with so young a player:

“Conor is on the way back, he is running, but in that age group and with these kind of injuries you tend to give them

rather three weeks more than not enough because it has to do with the growing process of the body and stuff like

this. I couldn’t get this injury anymore, let me say it like that! And that’s why he needs a bit of time.”

After his pre-match, we can assume no new returns for this weekend’s match-up against Brighton & Hove Albion.