Jurgen Klopp is not sure if he will be able to further strengthen his injury-hit Liverpool squad this summer despite having already signed Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay since finishing runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League last season and are short of midfielders.
With the clock rapidly ticking away as the transfer window closes next Thursday, Klopp said: “We are working constantly on these types of things and we’ve spoken before about why sometimes it’s not happening.
“Sometimes it’s expensive, sometimes not the right player, but then situations change. It needs to be the right player and we’re working. If something will happen or not, I don’t know.”
Klopp does not have any expectations of his injured players returning to contention for Saturday’s home Premier League game against Bournemouth, with the likes of Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Ramsay and Caoimhin Kelleher having all missed out recently, while Nunez is still suspended. a
Klopp added: “For this weekend probably not, but after that Joel, Curtis, Thiago is not too far away, Jota is getting closer, so positive news, but I don’t think anyone is available for tomorrow.”
Liverpool chase their first win of the season after taking just two points from their first three league matches and Monday night’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United has left them seven points adrift of early leaders Arsenal.
Klopp admitted his players “have to improve” but said his side’s short-comings had been “football problems” that could be easily resolved.
The German said he was well aware of “the situation” but was not too concerned and insisted he was relishing the challenge.
He said: “The United game has gone, done and dusted and now we have a different game.
“It’s not a situation I wanted to have, but actually I like it as well – it’s a challenge.
“It’s not the start you want, but you have to fight back and I’m really happy we have an opportunity now to play at home, twice.
“We understand the situation. I have a sense our people understand the situation as well, so I can’t wait to create a special atmosphere and fit together the team and crowd to make things happen.”
Liverpool’s slow start has seen them give defending champions Manchester City a five-point advantage, but Klopp remains unfazed.
“You can worry if you want, but it doesn’t make too much sense,” he said. “If you start worrying because other teams (Arsenal) have nine points, that’s obviously not helpful.
“This team delivered for four or five years on an incredibly high level, a consistently high level. A little drop two years ago, but apart from that, so often is the winning side.
“I don’t speak about the close group, but some people take things for granted, like ‘Liverpool against who ever, in the end Liverpool will win’ – that is not the case.
“We had to – and we have to – work incredibly hard for it and that’s what we’ll do. It’s too early to close the season and that is it for us.
“Nobody knows what we can achieve at the end of the season, but there are a lot of points to get and we should start collecting them.”