Liverpool duo with 299 combined appearances unlikely to play for the club again

At the end of the season Liverpool fans will have to brave what will be a hugely emotional day when Jurgen Klopp departs, but they will also likely have to say farewell to two other stars.

Injuries suffered by both Thiago and Joel Matip will most likely result in them missing the rest of the season and with their current deals expiring in the summer, both look set to leave on a free transfer after a combined 299 appearances together at Liverpool.

Matip, who suffered a long-term knee injury in the 4-3 victory over Fulham in December, has been at the club since 2016 and is about to see his journey come full circle as he arrived at the club as a free signing from Schalke. Since then, he has gone on to be a key figure under Jurgen Klopp; forming a strong partnership with Van Dijk, starting in the Champions League final win over Tottenham and helping them to win every trophy apart from the Europa League. The emergence of academy graduate Jarell Quansah has ensured that Matip's absence has not been costly, as has Joe Gomez as both have filled in brilliantly.

In terms of Thiago, his time at Liverpool has been affected heavily by injuries. As it stands, his five-minute cameo against Arsenal last weekend was his first taste of action since April 2023 but he has reportedly hurt his hamstring which is likely to keep him out for the remainder of the season. After arriving as a big name signing from Bayern Munich, it took time for him to gel into Klopp's system and his best season was clearly the 2021/22 campaign as he stunned with his effortless displays of quality with two goals and five assists in 39 appearances.

With £150m spent on midfielders this summer, Thiago's absence was also not missed. Of course, the idea of dropping someone with his quality into this thriving side would be a joy to behold, but that 2021/22 version of Thiago may no longer exist and it's clear his body is really struggling to recover after a career littered with niggling injuries.

It seems that both men will most likely now leave at the end of the season but their contributions to success in the past will never be forgotten and they stand as two very successful signings overall, especially given the low costs it took to acquire them.