There is no time scale attached to Thiago Alcântara’s return from injury at Liverpool. But Jürgen Klopp only needs to wait one more game for a solution.
Jürgen Klopp has a relatively healthy squad heading into the game against Real Madrid, but one of his most important players remain stuck on the sidelines. Thiago Alcântara is arguably Liverpool’s best midfielder, but the Spanish international hasn’t featured since the beginning of February.
According to the ECHO, a date for his return is as yet uncertain. Klopp is trying to push on without his conductor in the middle of the park, but Liverpool is encountering issues, losing 1-0 to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
After navigating the Real Madrid game, Jürgen Klopp will be able to call upon a Thiago solution for Liverpool. (Image: Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
The Cherries were ranked at the very bottom of the Premier League table at the time, yet they managed to keep a clean sheet against the Reds. Klopp labeled the defeat ‘very frustrating’ and a ‘proper knock’, with Liverpool struggling to showcase any degree of consistency this season.
The German coach will continue to search for internal solutions until the summer window opens, and his next experiment could involve a player who was presented with a spot on the bench over the weekend.
After missing around six months of action due to a serious injury, Arthur Melo has returned to fitness. He didn’t feature against Bournemouth, and nor will he be eligible to even make the list of substitutes against Real Madrid, having been excluded from the Champions League squad in January. But based on his profile, he has the credentials to compensate for the lack of control that Liverpool suffers from whenever Thiago is absent from proceedings.
The Brazilian midfielder was loaned from Juventus at the end of last summer. He was designed as a short-term fix for the Reds to use whenever they needed to keep the ball and gain a foothold over the middle of the pitch, but he hasn’t been able to act as that solution for Klopp due to fitness setbacks.
Back available for selection after Real Madrid, it could be interesting to see what he produces in a red shirt between now and the summer.
Over his previous four seasons competing in Serie A and La Liga, Arthur completed 92.3 per cent of his 4,136 passes. Those figures naturally lack context, but they do at least capture his tendency to offer undeniable security on the ball, something which Thiago is known for.
In fact, those numbers suggest that he’s even more inclined to find a teammate than Thiago is. Arthur doesn’t offer the same degree of threat or progression towards the final third and penalty box, but at least he doesn’t lose the ball cheaply in chaotic moments.
Liverpool loaned a backup controller who would always show for the ball, and one who would mostly keep it, even in the most turbulent situations. Arthur seemed the best suited to performing in place of Thiago when he arrived at Anfield, as a natural support act who could step in when required.
For the first time since joining Liverpool in September, he could have an overdue opportunity to do exactly that.
