Joël Matip Set for Season-Ending Thigh Surgery

The Liverpool defender will miss the rest of the season due to an injury suffered against Crystal Palace.

Joël Matip’s season is over today following word from the club that he was set to undergo surgery on his thigh after he suffered an injury during Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace—a match that saw Matip play all 90 minutes.

It’s bad news for the defender, who along with Dejan Lovren was looking to prove he could be the long-term answer for the club alongside Virgil van Dijk, and it limits manager Jürgen Klopp’s options heading into the start of a busy April.

With Over the next two weeks, Liverpool play four games—their two Champions League semi final outings against Manchester City and two in the league, first against Everton and then Bournemouth. Defensive rotation was expected.

Now, if there is to be any rest for either Van Dijk or Lovren, it would involve bringing Ragnar Klavan back into the mix—and aside from the second leg against Porto, the Estonian centre half hasn’t played since the middle of January.

Along with earlier news that Emre Can isn’t expected to be fit for Wednesday’s first game against City, though, it does at least simplify matters when it comes to who the manager is likely to start in the Champions League this week.

With both out of the equation, at least against City the team would seem to select itself, with Lovren alongside Van Dijk and a midfield of Jordan Henderson sitting deep behind James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com