English Premier League
Jurgen Klopp acknowledges Liverpool are still working on secrets to keep ‘insane’ Thiago Alcantara fit
Jurgen Klopp acknowledges Liverpool are still working on secrets to keep ‘insane’ Thiago Alcantara fit
The reds Boss, Jurgen Klopp has hailed Thiago as an ‘insane’ talent, and with the midfielder on an impressive run of form, the manager has admitted the club is still exploring how to keep him fit.
After seven-and-a-half weeks out due to injury and illness, Thiago Alcantara is currently on a run of five consecutive appearances for the Anfield Outfit.
Throughout this time, he has been excellent, particularly against Leicester and Norwich, and the hope is that he can establish himself as a consistent figure as Jurgen Klopp keeps rotating his squad.
To do so, Thiago will need to avoid the ongoing problems he has faced since joining Liverpool from Bayern Munich in 2020, with his longest run of starts for the club standing at seven.
Ahead of the visit of Leeds on Wednesday night, which should saw the star player restored to the starting lineup, Klopp was asked if he believes this is his best period with the club so far.
“I’m not so sure, I think last season, the last eight, nine games, he played pretty consistently all the games if I’m right,” the manager replied.
“Which, as I remember it, was a pretty good spell as well!”
But as Klopp addressed Thiago’s fitness issues, he acknowledged that the club is still working towards finding the best rhythm for the 30-year-old.
“I think we all agree, Thiago agrees, there were moments when he struggled injury-wise, that’s how it is,” he continued.
“Then coming back, even with his quality it’s not that you can get rhythm all the time immediately. You can get the rhythm, but not always immediately.
“It’s very helpful if you can stay fit for a longer period.
“It’s not so important if you play the first 60 [minutes], or the last 30, or 45 or whatever. We have to try to find the right intensity for him.
“Even when we work now longer together, obviously it’s still not ages and it’s not that we know absolutely everything.
“That’s why we try to – without keeping him outside when he’s ready to play – do the right things. That’s worked out now the last few games.
“That he’s a very, very good player, we were never in doubt about that. His skillset is insane.
“But it’s all about staying fit. That’s what we are working on together.”
In other news, Mark Lawrenson picks out the main advantage Liverpool has over Manchester City in the Premier League title race