How long Thiago Alcantara is really expected to be out injured for Liverpool

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Blink and you’ll have missed Thiago Alcantara playing for Liverpool this season.

Deep into February and the 32-year-old has played just five official minutes of football for the Reds in 2023/24. After a gruelling 10-month injury lay-off, Thiago’s return to action totalled just one appearance before he was injured again.

So far, there haven’t been any real timelines given for when – or if – we can expect to see the Spaniard back in action.

But yesterday afternoon, The Telegraph reported that Thiago is actually ‘several weeks’ away from recovery. That isn’t especially precise, but it’ll do for now.

In regards to other injured players like Dominik Szoboszlai, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones, Jurgen Klopp’s press conference this afternoon is said to be when we’ll get a clearer picture.

Thiago not too far away

Now, ‘several weeks’ could mean anything from three or four weeks to eight or nine. The way Thiago’s luck has been going of late, it feels like it could be even more than that.

But it’s also promising that there is a clear suggestion that the former Barcelona player will be back before the end of the season.

Ever since last summer, fans and coaches alike have been hopeful of Thiago playing some part this term. When he came back against Arsenal earlier this month, that looked like being genuinely possible.

Just as he has so often over the past four years though, Liverpool’s No.6 soon broke down again.

With injury problems piling up for the Reds ever since, they could really have done with Thiago right now.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that they should rush the Spain international back. But if he could surprise us pleasantly with a sooner-than-expected return, that would be amazing.

If Liverpool can get him out on the field for a dozen or so games this season then that would be unbelievable. Get fit by April, say, and that might just be possible – and decisive.

Most Reds supporters have come to accept the fact that Thiago is a luxury player by now. Plenty won’t even consider him as being part of the squad any longer.

But if ‘several weeks’ could just this one time mean exactly what it says on the tin, that would be superb.