The news that both Ibrahima Konate and Raphael Varane have fallen ill will have set off alarm bells not only for the French camp ahead of the World Cup final, but also for the clubs at home ahead of the resumption of the domestic campaign.
Jurgen Klopp nodded to the ‘virus’ that is sweeping the continent and expressed his hope that Liverpool can avoid a flare-up before their meeting with Manchester City.
“I hope we all get through it and we all know that in England, and in Europe in general, there’s some kind of virus going around, so hopefully we can stay out of it,” the former Borussia Dortmund manager told liverpoolfc.com.
“So obviously we will make the decision on Wednesday about who can play on Thursday.
“But it’s good and it’s going to be a very interesting game after that period, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The Merseysiders recorded a massive 4-1 win over AC Milan with the club’s youth contingent shining in the latest round of the Dubai Champions Cup.
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Poor form, injuries and apparent hangovers after the demanding 2021/22 season had us struggling to make our mark in the league table ahead of the disruption caused by the Winter World Cup.
However, there is every reason to believe that the long break will prove beneficial for the club with Jurgen Klopp taking his men to Dubai for the kind of intense training camp that was overshadowed by business commitments in pre-season.
There will be no time to relax in the second half of the campaign, especially given the caliber of the opponent we will face on December 22.
A good start is imperative for a team with plans to return to the top four. Hopefully, we won’t see a new wave of absences thanks to the dreaded virus making its way into Europe.
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