(Reuters) – Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Thiago will miss this weekend’s Premier League game at home to Aston Villa due to injuries, manager Juergen Klopp said, while giving little away on the club’s possible transfer activity on Friday’s deadline day.
France centre back Konate is battling a muscle issue and missed last weekend’s comeback win over Newcastle United, while Brazil midfielder Thiago underwent hip surgery before the start of the season and has suffered a setback in his recovery.
Liverpool will also be without captain Virgil Van Dijk for Villa’s visit to Anfield on Sunday after the centre back was sent off for a foul on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
“Ibou (Konate) will not be ready for the game,” Klopp said. “Curtis (Jones) is back in training fully. Thiago started training with the team and then had a little setback, so we have to slow down there a little bit.
“Thiago will use the international break for that then obviously to be up to speed, I’m pretty sure that should be hopefully enough for him then.”
Klopp maintained forward Mohamed Salah was not for sale amid reported interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad, saying there was “no offer as far as I know”.
Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, with British media reporting that the Dutch midfielder was undergoing a medical at the club on Friday.
“We cannot talk about that because nothing has really happened yet,” he said, and remained noncommittal when asked if Liverpool would strengthen further after the possible arrival of Gravenberch.
“It’s deadline day, I don’t want to kill the excitement of the people. You never know. But I am busy today with other things.”
Liverpool are third in the league with seven points from three games, one point above Villa in seventh place.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by David Holmes)
