Jurgen Klopp reveals Thiago Alcantara could miss rest of season in fresh Liverpool injury blow

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is unsure if Thiago Alcantara will play again this season.

It has been a hugely frustrating season for the Liverpool midfielder, who had to wait until February for his first appearance of the campaign.

Thiago was on the sidelines with a hip injury until his brief cameo Arsenal earlier this month, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute as Liverpool were beaten in north London.

However, the midfielder picked up a muscle issue in that game, with Klopp initially suggesting that it was “not a big, big injury”.

The outlook is more negative though, as the Liverpool boss revealed on Tuesday that “there is no timescale” on Thiago’s return. It is a similar issue to the hip injury that kept him out for so long.

“I don’t know, to be honest (if he will play again this season),” Klopp said.

“It’s a couple of things but what he has to do now from a medical point of view and I don't know if it will mean again if he can play again. It's not a short-term thing and that's why I'm not 100% in it. I'm not sure if it's the same but the region is the same.”

That raises the possibility that Thiago has played his final match for the club, with the 32-year-old out of contract in the summer.

Stefan Bajcetic could provide Liverpool with an injury boost though, having been out of action since September.

The midfielder has made only two appearances this season, both in the space of a week, but Klopp stating that Bajcetic is no longer in pain.

“I had lunch here and saw him training,” Klopp said.

“I sat there and thought: 'Why is he not playing?' He's obviously gaining fitness now, but didn't get the green light yet for team training.

“There is no-one in his building who wants to hold him back so there must be some reasons. He is completely pain-free, all checks have been made, bone looks good.”