Share

Lovren ruled out of Liverpool's Club World Cup trip

London - Dejan Lovren has been ruled out of Liverpool's trip to the Club World Cup, but Georginio Wijnaldum will travel with the Reds squad for the tournament in Qatar.

Croatian defender Lovren will miss out as a result of the hamstring problem he suffered during Tuesday's Champions League victory in Salzburg.

But Dutch midfielder Wijnaldum, who appeared to suffer a hamstring injury in the Premier League leaders' 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday, was named among the 20-man party which flew out on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp's side enter the Club World Cup at the semi-final stage on Wednesday, with Mexican side Monterrey their opponents in Doha.

A statement on Liverpool's official website confirmed Lovren's omission and Wijnaldum's inclusion.

Resources are already stretched thinly with a youth team set to play a League Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa on Tuesday, and Fabinho (ankle) and Joel Matip (knee) ruled out of games in the Middle East.

"With the Gini injury, Dejan three or four days ago, our squad is not getting bigger. That is not cool," Klopp said.

"But that is the same problem if we go to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarter-final."

Speaking before the squad was named, Klopp added on Wijnaldum's injury: "It is a muscle thing and you never want that for a player. In these moments it immediately makes it more difficult."

The Dutchman's injury was the only cloud on a day when Mohamed Salah took his tally to four goals in his last three matches, and 13 for the season, with a brilliant double against Watford.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1799 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1758 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1063 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 449 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 184 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
4% - 247 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE