Arsenal vs Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp facing injury headache ahead of season opener as Loris Karius breaks his hand

Injury blow: Karius punches a team-mate as he competes for a cross
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
James Benge29 July 2016

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is facing a defensive headache ahead of the start of the Premier League season against Arsenal after goalkeeper Loris Karius broke his hand.

Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Mamadou Sakho and Lucas Leiva were already on the treatment table with the trip to the Emirates little over two weeks away and Liverpool will now be without their likely first-choice goalkeeper.

Karius, a £4.7million summer signing from Mainz, suffered the injury in Wednesday’s friendly loss to Chelsea in Pasadena and is expected to be out for eight to 10 weeks. The goalkeeper attempted to clear a cross but ended up punching centre-back Dejan Lovren in the head.

Portuguese youngster Tiago Illori is also set to miss the start of the season having been called up to his country’s Olympic squad.

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Klopp is confident that Matip, a free signing in the summer, will be fit for the Arsenal match on August 14 but Gomez and Sakho are almost certain to be unavailable.

Arsenal have their own squad concerns heading into their first game of the season. French duo Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are not expected to return to training until Monday August 8 with Arsene Wenger keen to ensure his Euro 2016 participants are well rested.

With Per Mertesacker out for several months it likely means either Calum Chambers or summer signing Rob Holding will be called upon to partner Gabriel in the heart of defence, whilst Chuba Akpom or Theo Walcott seem set to lead the line for Arsenal.

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