Klopp 'not happy' with Lallana injury, rules Sturridge out of Merseyside derby
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wouldn't blame England boss Gareth Southgate after Adam Lallana returned to Liverpool with a thigh injury, though it means the midfielder will miss Saturday's Merseyside derby, as will Daniel Sturridge.
Lallana apparently picked up the knock during England's World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania on Sunday, with reports suggesting the 28-year-old could miss up to four weeks.
Klopp didn't reveal how long Lallana will be out of action, and appeared more upset that the player featured during England's defeat to Germany in a friendly last Wednesday - just three days after Liverpool's hard-fought 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
"I spoke already about it and of course I was not happy (with the injury)," Klopp told reporters Friday, according to Liverpool's website. "I heard somebody said I was relaxed about the situation - I could not be less relaxed about this, but it is not about blaming Gareth Southgate."
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
He added: "I was not happy that he played on Wednesday, yes, but it is not my decision and I respect 100 percent the decision of other managers because they have to respect my decisions too. He made the lineup and that's it, and Adam loves football that much that he obviously didn't say, 'Maybe I should wait another day.'"
Liverpool will also be without Sturridge on Saturday.
There was hope Thursday that the English forward would be available for selection against Liverpool's city rivals, but Klopp ruled Sturridge out of the contest and refuted suggestions that the player had returned to training after battling a hip issue.
When asked if Sturridge could feature, Klopp said, "No chance.
"I heard he's back to training, I don't know who gave this information. When a player is on the pitch with a rehab coach, that's not back to training. That's the situation in this moment. He's in a good way, but (has) no chance for the weekend."
Liverpool, which has gone 13 straight matches without losing to Everton, will look to increase its six-point advantage over the Toffees and solidify its place in the top four during Saturday's match at Anfield.