Luckless Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara has reportedly suffered a fresh injury setback after making his long-awaited return from a hip problem.
The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona man made a matchday squad for the first time since April in last weekend's 3-1 loss to Arsenal, having been plagued by a troublesome hip injury for almost 10 months.
Thiago's issue cut his 2022-23 season short, and owing to a couple of complications, the 32-year-old was kept waiting even longer for his first appearance of the 2023-24 campaign after he survived Liverpool's summer midfield shake-up.
Thiago was unsurprisingly named on the bench for the trip to the Emirates, but he was deemed fit enough for a five-minute cameo towards the end of the game, replacing Joe Gomez.
Despite only being on the field for a matter of moments, The Athletic reports that Thiago picked up a muscular problem during his short time on the Emirates turf and reported the discomfort to medical staff after the match.
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The report adds that Thiago has undergone further assessment on the problem, but it is yet to be ascertained how long the Spain international's new concern will keep him sidelined for.
Since swapping the Allianz Arena for Anfield in 2020, Thiago has missed a staggering 107 matches for club and country due to injury or illness, sitting out 41 contests while nursing his recent hip damage.
Hamstring, thigh, knee and calf problems have also hampered Thiago's Liverpool career, and the 32-year-old has been restricted to just 98 games for Jurgen Klopp's side when fit, scoring three goals and providing six assists.
Thiago's signing was met with scepticism due to his ability to adapt to Klopp's counter-pressing system, but the ex-Barcelona man has proven his worth to Liverpool when not taking up a bed in the treatment room and was central to their ultimately unsuccessful quadruple push in 2021-22.
However, Thiago is now free to enter talks with foreign clubs after entering the last six months of his Liverpool contract, and he is not believed to be in line for an extension due to his perennial fitness problems.
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Barcelona are believed to have shown an interest in welcoming Thiago back to Camp Nou, while clubs in Italy are reportedly weighing up a move for the experienced midfielder as a free agent.
Thiago's fresh problem exacerbates Klopp's midfield concerns for Saturday's Premier League clash with Burnley, as the hamstring issue which prevented Dominik Szoboszlai from facing the Gunners is set to keep him out of the meeting with the Clarets too.
Stefan Bajcetic is also on the mend following a calf concern, but on a brighter note, Wataru Endo is now back training with the Reds following Japan's elimination from the Asian Cup and should be in contention to play this weekend.
Liverpool's defeat to Arsenal cut their lead at the top of the Premier League table down to two points, and they will temporarily be bumped down to second place if Manchester City - who have a game in hand - beat Everton in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff.
Ben Knapton
