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Jurgen Klopp addresses Darwin Nunez and Thiago Alcantara’s fitness concerns
Jurgen Klopp claims that Darwin Nunez and Thiago Alcantara sensed potential injuries during Wednesday night’s triumph over West Ham, but both are likely to be okay.
Nunez scored the game’s only goal as the Reds defeated the Hammers 1-0 in a tight match on Merseyside.
The Uruguayan striker was replaced 57 minutes into the game, though, replaced by Harvey Elliott, while Thiago was replaced by Fabinho a minute later.
Although Klopp acknowledges that both players experienced muscular discomfort during the game, the changes were safeguards, and both players should be fine to play against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
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‘Thiago stretched once on the pitch which was, for me, a warning sign,’ Klopp told Amazon Prime after the win. ‘Meanwhile, we have to react to everything, so it was clear we had to change him.
‘Darwin at half time everyone said no it’s fine, it’s fine but when someone’s on the bed for five minutes [with a hamstring complaint], we’re concerned as well. It was a precaution. They are all okay. I think we picked them all [to come off] in the right moment.’
After defeating Manchester City on Sunday, Klopp’s team has now won two straight games, moving up to sixth in the standings.
Given that Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Joel Matip, Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate, and Arthur Melo are all already out, Klopp will be relieved that neither Nunez nor Thiago is hurt.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to the match-day squad on Wednesday, not coming off the bench, but the midfielder has returned from injury and will be an option for Klopp in a very busy period ahead of the World Cup.