Liverpool will intensify their efforts to bring in Neven Subotic or Andrea Ranocchia after Jürgen Klopp warned yesterday they may be the victims of an FA Cup shock at Exeter tonight as Jordon Ibe became the seventh squad member to suffer a hamstring complaint.
Kolo Touré's breakdown with cramp in Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final at Stoke cost Liverpool their last fit centre-half. Ibe complained of discomfort after that game and will not travel to Devon, where Klopp will be without 13 players. The Liverpool manager is interested in Subotic, whom he worked with at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. Ranocchia, who captained Internazionale last season, is available for around £6.5m. However, even if a quick deal could be struck, neither man is match-fit as both have fallen out of favour at their clubs.
Klopp said he will not select anyone who has played regularly in their last five games as he wants to keep the core of the squad fresh for the league matches with Arsenal and Manchester United, although he was aware of the risk. “Nobody is interested in why shocks happen,” he said. “United lost at Milton Keynes with a weakened team a few years ago but no one talked about why they had those players in their team.
“They only look at the name of the club and say: 'How can this happen?' The team that plays at Exeter will want to win 100 per cent but it will not be a team that has played together very often. It is a chance for Exeter and they have to take it.”
Liverpool’s casualty list:
Divock Origi, Dejan Lovren (both hamstring) Expected to be out for another two weeks
Martin Skrtel, Philippe Coutinho (both hamstring) Out until early next month
Jordan Rossiter, Daniel Sturridge (both hamstring)
No specified return dates
Jordon Ibe (hamstring)
Injured at Stoke on Tuesday
Mamadou Sakho (knee)
No specified return date
Jordi Gomez, Danny Ings (both knee) Both out for the season
Kolo Touré (cramp)
Unlikely to be risked tonight
Jordan Henderson (heel)
No return date confirmed – The Independent