Klopp backs Lallana to shine in the second half of the season
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists Adam Lallana still has a future at Anfield and has backed him to prove his worth in the second half of the season, saying that the 30-year-old is still an integral member of the squad.
Lallana has just started 3 games in all competitions this season due to recurrent injuries but Klopp has ruled out any possibility of the England international heading for the exit door in the foreseeable future.
“We are in close contact and it’s just a shame for Adam,” Klopp said.
“It’s not serious, he’ll probably be available for next week. It was only a little thing but it was enough to put him out of the Wolves game.
“Of course it’s not nice, who would like that after the season he’s had? But you can’t change things that happened a day ago or an hour ago.
“You have to deal with it and he’s dealing well with it, he won’t lose confidence. He’s been confident in all the sessions and has helped us a lot. He is a very mature person, it’s all good.
Lallana racked up as many as 125 appearances for the Reds over the course of his first three seasons at Anfield but he has just played 23 times since the summer of 2017. However, Klopp is confident that the veteran has the mental strength to recoup and contribute to Liverpool’s title challenge.
“It’s unlucky and a real shame that it happened. We were all like ‘oh no, please don’t do that’. It’s always bad when you lose a player but especially at this moment. Nobody likes it but you have to deal with it.”
“You have to get through this. With a long injury, it very often takes the same amount of time again before your body reacts exactly like it was before,” Klopp added.
“He’s had a few issues now but he’s a fantastic player. It’s not about thinking ‘oh it’s happened again’. It’s something different.
“I am still completely positive. Would I like to have him available? Yes, 100%.
“It’s brilliant to have him around as he can cool games down, he can be creative between the lines, he still has speed and all these things.
“It’s not cool to lose him in a session, we didn’t have many training injuries this season. He stretched to get the ball and it happened. Nothing else to say about it.
“Could he be in a better place mentally? Yes, if he was playing and had scored 20 goals in the last 10 games. But everything is fine. Adam knows that we need him.”
