With only three games left to play in his Liverpool career, Roberto Firmino is increasingly unlikely to break an all-time Jurgen Klopp record set in 2015.
Klopp has been a manager for 22 years, following up spells at Mainz and Dortmund with his seminal, trophy-laden reign at Anfield.
During that time, 252 different players have featured under the German, with 98 of those doing so for Liverpool.
No player has made more appearances for Klopp throughout his managerial career than Firmino (353), with James Milner (320), Mo Salah (302), Jordan Henderson (301) and Neven Subotic (281) making up the top five.
Only Salah (264), with 186 goals and 78 assists, has directly contributed to more goals than the Brazilian (188), who has scored 109 and laid on 79.
However, when it comes to minutes on the pitch, Firmino is only third.
Jurgen Klopp’s most-used players (minutes)
- 1. Roman Weidenfeller (Dortmund) – 25,156
- 2. Neven Subotic (Dortmund) – 25,107
- 3. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) – 25,020
- 4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 24,807
- 5. Andy Robertson (Liverpool) – 22,650
Firmino has clocked 25,020 minutes for Klopp, which sits him behind both Subotic (25,107) and Dortmund legend Roman Weidenfeller (25,156).
Long-serving goalkeeper Weidenfeller, who started 279 times for the manager and was only subbed off three times, set the record during the 2014/15 campaign.
Firmino would need to clock 137 more minutes in the next three games to break Weidenfeller’s record as Klopp’s all-time most-used player.
Salah (24,807), meanwhile, is not far behind, and is guaranteed to surpass Weidenfeller’s tally next season.
Liverpool are set to take on Leicester, Aston Villa and Southampton in their final games of the Premier League campaign, after which the No. 9 will depart on a free transfer.
That would, of course, only require just over 45 minutes on the pitch in each of those fixtures, which would be lower than his average for this term (49.5).
Unfortunately, though, Firmino is still not in full training following a muscle injury that has kept him out of the last five games.
The 31-year-old was not part of the squad working at the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday, which came after a three-day break for the first team in Barcelona.
Prior to the 1-0 win over Fulham at the start of May, Klopp said Firmino “looks good” and “is doing more and more,” but added that “we’re waiting for him to join team training again.”
If Firmino is able to return this week there is still a chance he is involved for the trip to Leicester on Monday night, with scope for appearances at home to Villa and away to Southampton.
Whether he will do so is unclear, with there a risk he has already played his final game for Liverpool.
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