The manager of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, asserts that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return from injury wasn’t rushed, despite the defender’s absence for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on 25th February.
Recently, Alexander-Arnold came back after being sidelined for three weeks due to a knee problem.
However, he aggravated the issue during a 3-1 victory against Burnley last Saturday, resulting in his substitution at halftime.
“As long as I am here, we never forced anybody back and will never do,” said Klopp.
“A thing we have to clarify a bit. I was not really aware of it, but I got the news that there was a discussion we might have forced Trent back because of two setbacks.
“Nobody wants that and nobody is doing that.
“But we work in a high-performance area. We always try to catch the earliest moment [when someone is injured]. Unfortunately, when we catch that early moment, nobody speaks about that.
“The last decision is always with theplayer, but if you always listen to the player, they would play after two weeks and it’s a real problem.”
Alexander-Arnold initially sustained his knee injury during the FA Cup third-round triumph against Arsenal on 7th January. He made a comeback as a substitute in the fourth-round victory against Norwich City on 28th January.
Subsequently, he was utilized as a substitute in a home victory against Chelsea before starting in a defeat against Arsenal on 4th February, where he was substituted around the hour mark.
Despite starting against Burnley, the England international was substituted at halftime due to the persisting knee issue.
Additionally, Reds midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is currently sidelined with a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
“Very unlucky and unfortunate, but it can happen,” added Klopp, speaking before his side’s game at Brentford on Saturday (12:30 GMT).
“It says nothing about the quality of anybody. The world we are living in [people say], ‘the medical department, I’m not sure about that’. It’s nothing to do with that.
“We have to bring the boys back as soon possible but never sooner than they are ready.”
He added: “It’s a super intense period. People think about the [Carabao Cup] final, which is fine absolutely, but before that we have Brentford and Luton.
“I didn’t think for one second about the final yet – that’s one game but before that we have two games and they [Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai] cannot play, which is as bad.
“With Dom, it will be around that time [the final]. We will see exactly how it works. With Trent maybe a week or two longer, so it’s not great.
“Not sure if Dom has a chance for the final, but maybe, and Trent will probably be after.”
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations on 18th January, is vying for a spot in the lineup against Brentford after resuming full training.
Meanwhile, Klopp has clinched the Premier League Manager of the Month accolade for January, with Reds forward Diogo Jota securing the Player of the Month award.
Liverpool emerged victorious in all three of their league fixtures in January, with Jota contributing three goals and two assists across those matches.