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Matip and Thiago to miss Liverpool's Champions League clash with Ajax

Liverpool will be without Joel Matip for Wednesday night's Champions League group game away to Aj...



Matip and Thiago to miss Liver...
Soccer

Matip and Thiago to miss Liverpool's Champions League clash with Ajax

Liverpool will be without Joel Matip for Wednesday night's Champions League group game away to Ajax. 

The centre-back didn't train on Tuesday morning after requiring a scan following Saturday's bruising Merseyside derby with Everton.

The collateral damage from that game has been been notable. Virgil Van Dijk will be out for months as he requires ACL surgery following Jordan Pickford's challenge.

And while no lasting damage has been detected with Matip, he won't travel to Amsterdam for the Premier League champions first Group D game.

The stop-start nature of Thiago Alcantara's Liverpool career continues. Klopp said on Monday that the midfielder took "a proper knock" in a red card challenge from Richarlison.

The 29-year old was another who didn't train at Melwood on Tuesday morning.

Georginio Wijnaldum and the returning Naby Keita are set to join captain Jordan Henderson in the Liverpool midfield at the Johann Cruyff Arena.

With Van Dijk and Matip out, Fabinho will likely drop back into the heart of the Reds' defence alongside Joe Gomez.

Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams will travel with the squad as defensive cover, highlighting Klopp's paucity of options at the back.

"It’ll be a tough game, the Champions League always is. Ajax are a good team," Henderson said of Wednesday's Group D game

"Going over there will be really tough, but it always is. In football, it’s just about giving everything, doing everything we can and focusing on what is important for us – to go there and get the three points.

“I’ve got full confidence we can do that if we perform to the same level we did at the weekend, and even better."

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Ajax Champions League Liverpool Thiago Thiago Alcantara Virgil Van Dijk