Roberto Firmino injury update on potential Liverpool return as expert expresses concern

Roberto Firmino could be absent for the next two weeks for Liverpool, it has been claimed.

The Brazil international remains sidelined for the Reds after suffering a muscle injury in the 2-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro last month.

As a result, Firmino has missed the past three games - including Liverpool's Carabao Cup final triumph over Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp's side welcome Norwich City to Anfield in the FA Cup fifth round tonight (20.15).

What’s been said

Firmino is again expected to be unavailable for the home side.

And Ben Dinnery, who heads up website premierinjuries.com and has a background in data analysis, reckons the striker might be absent for up to another two weeks.

That would rule Firmino out of upcoming games against West Ham United (5 March), Inter Milan (8 March) and Brighton and Hove Albion (12 March).

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery said: "There’s always a narrative or agenda a manager subjects us to or that a club decides to push.

“Unless you’re following very closely all the time, you maybe won’t pick up some of these little things.

“Initially, with the Firmino injury, Klopp said he was going to be out for ‘quite a while’.

“That four, five, six-week period would have been in keeping with his previous muscle problems. But just a matter of days later, that changed.

“That maybe had something to do with giving people hope for the League Cup. But realistically, I never expected him to be a part of that squad.

“I certainly don’t expect him to play against Norwich. His recent game time has been severely hampered by soft tissue problems.

“They have now Jota, Diaz, Origi, Salah, Mane. So there’s no need to rush him back.

“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he is out for another week or two yet.”

Liverpool will also be without Thiago Alcantara for at least the next two matches.

The midfielder has a hamstring injury, having suffered his issue during the warm-up ahead of the Carabao Cup final.