Liverpool dealt fresh blow as Firmino misses Fulham clash through injury

BetOdds Premier League Liverpool Fulham Liverpool v Fulham Roberto Firmino

Jurgen Klopp was forced to leave the Brazilian out of his latest Premier League squad along with January signing Ozan Kabak

Liverpool have been dealt a fresh blow after Roberto Firmino was forced to miss their clash with Fulham through injury.

The Reds' Premier League title defence has been severely hampered by an unprecedented injury crisis which has seen the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Fabinho, Diogo Jota and Jordan Henderson take in lengthy spells on the sidelines.

Ozan Kabak, who moved to Anfield on loan from Schalke in January, also picked up a knock last week, and Klopp confirmed that Firmino has been added to Liverpool's crocked list before their latest domestic outing on Sunday.

"Two of the changes had to be made because of little injuries to Ozan Kabak and Roberto Firmino," the German head coach told Sky Sports.

"The other changes we thought made absolute sense.

"We are in an intense period and we've got fresh legs back to try and give Fulham a proper fight."

Depending on the severity of Firmino's injury, which has yet to be confirmed, the Brazilian could also be a doubt for Liverpool's Champions League meeting with RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

The Reds won 2-0 at Puskas Arena in Budapest to take control of the round of 16 tie, with the second leg set to be played at the same venue.

If Firmino is forced to sit out that encounter, supporters will hope he can return to full fitness in time for a trip to Wolves in the top-flight on March 15.

Firmino's goalscoring record has been relatively modest throughout his time at Anfield, but his lack of cutting edge in the final third was never called into question when he was playing a key role in a Premier League and Champions League-winning team.

However, the 29-year-old has come under increased scrutiny amid Liverpool's struggles for consistency in 2020-21, with his output in the final third dropping to new lows.

Firmino has only scored six goals in 37 matches across all competitions for Klopp's side so far, but he has set up a further seven for his team-mates and remains a regular feature in the Reds starting XI.

2021-03-07 18:00:13

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