Klopp refuses to panic-buy in January after Lovren injury

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that he does not have to buy a new centre-back this month following injury to Dejan Lovren sustained against Wolves last night.

Lovren was replaced by 16-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever in the first five minutes at Molineux, leaving the manager with just one recognised first-team centre-back available for the Brighton game on Saturday.

However, Klopp refused to concede that Liverpool may have to bring in a new face in defence during the January transfer window.

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WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Dejan Lovren of Liverpool receives help before leaving the pitch injured during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux on January 7, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

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“The only country that asks a question like this is England. Everything is sorted with buying players,” Klopp said, according to the Echo.

“We have four centre-halves. Three, maybe, two-and-a-half are injured so we’ll have to try and come through in the moment.

“We need them back but you cannot buy a fifth centre-half and say ‘so you play two weeks and after that the others come in’”.

Klopp also confirmed that Lovren was supposed to be a substitute for the game rather than start the match, but was forced to include the Croatian in his starting XI with Virgil van Dijk out with a minor knock, saying: “[Van Dijk] cannot play; he is at home and hopefully it is nothing, but he has played all the games so far, so we had to try to find a solution for that – and we found it, hopefully, with Fabinho.”

The Brazilian midfielder is likely to continue in defence for the Brighton match, with Gomez, Matip and now Lovren all out injured

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Source: anfieldhq.com