Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has revealed how he was upset for Reds winger Luis Diaz, when hearing about his recurring injury.
Taking to his pre-match press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup clash against Manchester City on Thursday, the Dutchman spoke about the Colombia international and his return to fitness.
“About Luis, yeah, I have to say, we all know the impact he had on this team,” Lijnders said.
“It is not easy to come in and have an impact on this team, to take the team forward – he did.
“So, for the team, for him, it’s really sad it has happened, but he has this character, you know, this smile and hard work, he will take this time to come back stronger.
“If he can come back stronger, it will really help us. Hopefully, everything goes smooth, and he will come back [stronger].”
Lijnders upset for Diaz
Having been on the medical table since October, Diaz was hoping to use Liverpool’s warm-weather training camp out in Dubai to help gain match fitness.
He was preparing for the restart of the Premier League season and was expecting minutes during the friendly match against Lyon.
However, the 25-year-old suffered an injury setback during training. As a result, he underwent surgery in attempt to fix his lateral collateral ligament.
Consequently, the attacker, hailed by Klopp as an ‘exceptional’ player, is out of action until March.
At the beginning of the season, Diaz was one of the only bright sparks in a lacklustre Liverpool side.
Therefore, his absence will come as a major blow for the Reds, who will need to hit the ground running against City on Thursday.
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