Mo Salah comments spell bad news for Jurgen Klopp as latest Liverpool blow confirmed

Mo Salah’s comments are bad news for Jürgen Klopp, as confirmed by Liverpool’s latest punch

Just hours after Liverpool’s elimination from the Champions League was confirmed, Jurgen Klopp suffered another major setback, with Stefan Bajcetic confirming the extent of his injury.

Liverpool will be without their “best player” Stefan Bajcetic for the rest of the season, the latest blow to their first four hopes.

There have not been many highlights this season for the Reds, who have been knocked out of all cup competitions and well beyond taking the title. But Bajcetic, 18, was the spearhead in a difficult season for his more experienced teammates.

Bajcetic quickly went from under-18 to starting in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield in less than 12 months. His youthful exuberance has often surfaced among his older colleagues in a group of positions Klopp is expected to freshen up this summer. But his breakthrough campaign is now over after it was confirmed that his hamstring injury will sideline him until the summer. “Very sad to say goodbye to a great season,” he posted on social media.

“But I understand this is part of football and will only make me stronger physically and mentally. I also want to thank the Reds for their support throughout the season and assure you that I will do my best to come back. stronger than ever.”

It’s a cruel blow for Klopp, who has seen his once stacked midfield become a problem area. His newfound prominence was on full display last month when he helped orchestrate Liverpool’s Derby Day win over Everton.

Bajcetic played a pivotal role in the Reds’ midfield and was named their best player by Mohamed Salah. “He’s a great player and person, he always tries to work hard,” Salah said, before adding: “Since he started playing for us, he’s been our best player.”

Bajcetic was generally modest in his reaction to Salah’s verdict, but before his injury the evidence was mounting in his favour. “A top player. It’s fun to work with him,” Klopp said.

And it wasn’t just his own performances that caught his eye, but how he helped raise the standard of those close to him. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho showed their best performances alongside him. He was absent for Liverpool’s last appearance as their Champions League exit was confirmed in Madrid. The Reds were all but eliminated after losing to Real Madrid 5-2 at Anfield, but any fleeting hopes of another miraculous comeback were dashed at the Bernabeu.

Following the 1-0 defeat, Klopp insisted the rest of his side’s season would be defined by the three games immediately following the upcoming international break. Liverpool are six points off the top four and face Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal next month.

He said: “When we come back from the international break, we have a real week of football ahead of us, with three games, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, which then will probably determine what we get out of it.”

And while he would never admit it, that pivotal week would look much more palatable with a player quickly taking over the lead.

Also…

‘Not angry, just disappointed’ – four key points from Jurgen Klopp on Liverpool defeat to real Madrid

Jurgen Klopp admitted he couldn’t even get angry as Liverpool exited the Champions League in tame fashion with a 6-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid.

The Reds were beaten 1-0, 6-2 on aggregate

Complete the final 16 stages for the first time since 2020

Face Battle qualification for next season

WHAT HAPPENED? Karim Benzema’s 78th-minute strike completed a comfortable 6-2 aggregate win for Real at the Santiago Bernabeu as timid and hesitant Liverpool were unable to stage one of their famous European Cup comebacks. Europe in the Spanish capital.

WHAT THEY SAID: In his post-match press conference, Klopp said: “We came here with the backpack we had with the difference of three goals [from the first leg], so you you need a special performance and we didn’t show a single special performance tonight: It was a good performance so far but Real Madrid were in charge for most of the game. They had better chances. If you want to make it, you have to be excellent. If you want to win the game you have to be really good, and Real Madrid were the best team and that’s why the right team went through to the next round.

“I wasn’t angry after the match, I was disappointed. I would have been angry if we had played better and it was close and they won by a penalty which isn’t a penalty or anything like that, but in the end none of that happened. Real Madrid were simply the best team. I’ve been in the business long enough to respect that.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Reds now face an uphill battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and away games to Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as a home game against leaders Arsenal, in the next three Games.

Klopp said: “It’s the league and we want to be a part of it every year, and that’s a huge task for us now. We all know that. When we come back from the international break, we have a real week of football ahead of us. We would say, with three games : City, Chelsea and Arsenal. They will probably determine where we exit from. People might say we lost in Bournemouth but I think this week is quite decisive. Now we have to hope that the boys come back healthy, soon enough and in the right shape and we will try.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? The Reds now only play on 1 April when they travel to Manchester City in the Premier League.