Liverpool give grim Thiago Alcantara injury news but Jurgen Klopp provides positive Stefan Bajcetic update

Jurgen Klopp admits he's unsure if Thiago Alcantara will play again for Liverpool.

The midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is again troubled by a hip injury that ruled him out for nine months. Thiago had surgery last April and made his first appearance of the 2023-24 campaign in a 3-1 loss at Arsenal earlier this month.

Thiago featured for only five minutes but sustained another problem in the region of his long-standing issue. And Klopp admitted that the Spaniard's issue is not a short-term thing and no time scale on his return has been given.

Klopp, speaking ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Southampton, said: “There is no time scale. I don’t know, to be honest (if he will play again this season). It’s a couple of things but what he has to do now from a medical point of view and I don't know if it will mean again if he can play again. It's not a short-term thing and that's why I'm not 100% in it. I'm not sure if it's the same but the region is the same.”

However, there is better news on Stefan Bajcetic. The teenager enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022-23 as he made a total of 19 appearances, earning him a new long-term deal, before he was forced to have adductor surgery in March.

This campaign has been a frustrating one for the Spaniard. Bajcetic has played only twice, with his last outing coming five months ago. He has been struggling with growing pains but is back training and now awaits the green light before he can play again.

Klopp added: "Stefan is one of these. I had lunch here and saw him training. I sat there and thought: 'Why is he not playing?!' He's obviously gaining fitness now, but didn't get the green light yet for team training. There is no-one in his building who wants to hold him back so there must be some reasons. He is completely pain-free, all checks have been made, bone looks good and what he's doing now."