Jurgen Klopp gives update on Liverpool injuries ahead of Leeds United visit and explains formation change

Klopp was able to welcome back two players for Wednesday night’s Champions League clash at Ajax for which Darwin Nunez returned from a muscle injury to start and Ibrahima Konate reappeared on the bench.

But key attacking pair Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are both out until after the World Cup break whilst Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Arthur Melo remain sidelined and Naby Keita was not involved in midweek after only recently returning to training.

Reds captain Jordan Henderson then suffered a knock to his knee during Wednesday night’s 3-0 win at Ajax and the midfielder was taken off as one of three changes with 19 minutes left but Klopp is hopeful that the England international is just bruised.

Asked whether Henderson was okay at his post-match press conference, Klopp said as quoted by liverpoolfc.com: “I think so. I was worried as well when I saw the situation because it was in front of me, but I think he thought he got knee on knee, so painful. A bruise, probably. Really painful but as far as I know now, nothing else and that should be fine.”

Pressed on whether everybody else came through the game fine, Klopp revealed: “Yes. I didn't have too much time to spend in the dressing room yet, but no-one came to me with any further or bigger problems.”

Liverpool approached Wednesday night’s Ajax clash following Saturday’s surprise 1-0 Premier League reverse at Nottingham Forest which Thiago Alcantara missed due to an ear infection. The Spanish international was again missing at Ajax. Asked before the game if Thiago would be miss Saturday’s fixture against Leeds, Klopp said: "I hope not but who knows?"

Despite the injuries, Klopp’s side booked their place in the Champions League last 16 as Mo Salah, Nunez and Harvey Elliott all netted in a 3-0 victory. The Reds deviated away from their usual formation to line up in a diamond which Klopp said was designed to deal with Ajax’s threats.

“We could have lined up today obviously with that formation in a 4-3-3 but we decided more for a diamond,” said the Reds boss. "Where the difference is obviously in possession, not that big, but it keeps the striker a bit more inside, so we have no clear wingers, the wings open up for the full-backs and all these kind of things. That's nothing new. But you have to be really brave on the 'eight' positions and on the full-back positions. Actually the problem was only you arrive there in the challenge, you want to block the full-back and then in that moment they pass the ball to Tadic or to Brobbey – there, we couldn't stop them pretty much because they just physically were really there. We had these situations in the home game as well with Tadic especially. I think the ref there whistled like five, six offensive fouls – I'm not sure they were offensive fouls but he saw it like that. Today, he didn't whistle them, so from there they play on and that was one problem.

“The other problem is the man-marking system of Ajax is uncomfortable. We should have turned in a lot of moments in midfield where we then realised immediately that we are constantly under pressure. Very important was [the] last line, Virgil and Joey. In the moment they started stepping in... you might remember the first game against Ajax when Joel was constantly super-active there. In the moment they stepped in, Ajax was in doubt because now they have to mark a different player, now they leave another player free and all of a sudden you find constantly a player you can play with. And that changed everything, we just needed time to do that again. And when we did it then we controlled the game and we had brilliant moments actually.”