LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, February 13, 2021: Liverpool's James Milner goes down injured during the FA Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Liverpool FC at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by Propaganda)

Klopp confirms James Milner hamstring injury to add to Origi and Davies blow

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that James Milner suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Liverpool’s 3-1 loss at Leicester, following further setbacks for two others.

Milner lasted just 16 minutes of Saturday’s clash at the King Power, before limping off to be replaced by Thiago, who played a costly role in the Reds’ collapse.

It was the vice-captain’s 14th start of the season, but his fifth in the last three weeks, and it appears the overload has taken its toll as Milner now faces a spell on the sidelines.

Following Liverpool’s latest defeat, Klopp revealed that his No. 7 has a hamstring injury, and while “hopefully it is only a little bit,” the medical staff “did not want to take the risk.”

Another muscle injury is no surprise this season, and Milner is now the 10th player currently sidelined from the first-team squad, with Divock Origi and Ben Davies ruled out in the buildup.

Origi also has a hamstring problem, while Klopp described the absence of Davies through a knock as “unbelievable” in his pre-match interview with BT Sport.

Caoimhin Kelleher was also unavailable as he nurses a knock of his own, with Adrian taking the Irishman’s place on the bench for the second game running.

BERGAMO, ITALY - Tuesday, November 3, 2020: Liverpool's hat-trick hero Diogo Jota walks off injured during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Atalanta BC and Liverpool FC at the Stadio di Bergamo. (Pic by Simone Arveda/Propaganda)

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are out for the rest of the season, but neither of Diogo Jota and Naby Keita are expected back imminently either.

Hopefully Fabinho can return for Tuesday’s clash with RB Leipzig in the Champions League, but in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s defeat the manager did not seem confident he would be available in Budapest.

This could therefore see few changes made in midweek, with more pressure on those first-choice starters to not only improve their performance but to avoid injury.