Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp might buy in January after injuries
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he may be forced into the transfer market as their injury crisis deepened in the Capital One Cup semi-final win at Stoke City.
Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren went off before half-time with hamstring injuries and Kolo Toure appeared to end the game with a similar problem.
Klopp has previously insisted he would not buy in January but said: "This is something we will have to think about. It is a good result but the big shadow is the injuries."
Liverpool have no fit central defenders as Martin Skrtel is sidelined with a hamstring problem and Mamadou Sakho also missed Liverpool's 1-0 win at The Britannia Stadium through injury.
"It is a strange feeling because on one side it is very, very good then we have these injuries," Klopp added.
"Two weeks ago we had three centre backs, which is a good situation and the season started with five but now it is zero."
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Klopp's hamstring curse
As well as those injured on Tuesday and with Skrtel also out, youngsters Divock Origi and Jordan Rossiter have hamstring injuries, while England striker Daniel Sturridge has had a catalogue of problems.
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Asked whether the training methods he has brought in after succeeding sacked Brendan Rodgers in early October have had an effect, Klopp referred once more to the heavy demands made on Premier League players.
He said: "Maybe I could look at our training methods but we don't train - we only recover. There is no training.
"I'm responsible for these things and if you want to make me responsible for our hamstring strains then OK."
BSports Radio 5 Live pundit Kevin Kilbane, who was at The Britannia Stadium, suggested Klopp's methods might be responsible.
He said: "I've seen it at some clubs before. Perhaps it's down to the change in training methods on the training ground. Under Jurgen Klopp they'll train much harder day in, day out.
"The amount of medical attention footballers get at football clubs now, and also the physical work which is put in, this shouldn't be happening to footballers. I put down the various hamstring injuries down to Klopp's change in style."
Klopp taking nothing for granted
Klopp has taken a big stride towards a Wembley final in the Capital One Cup after only three months at Anfield but he said: "If somebody had told us it would be 1-0 before the game we would have taken it of course but it is just 1-0 and nothing is decided in the first leg of these semi-finals.
"We showed what we were capable of, although we have shown what we were capable of in other games, but we have to show more consistency."
