Matip to miss remainder of 2020-21 season due to injury

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Joel Matip will miss the remainder of the 2020-21 season due to an ankle ligament injury.

The defender sustained the injury in a challenge to thwart Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min during the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 win on Friday.

"Unfortunately, we found out now after everybody looked at it that Joel will be out for the rest of the season. But he will be ready for the start of the next pre-season and finally everything will be sorted," the club's official website quoted Klopp as saying.

Liverpool are already without centre-backs Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk due to long-term injuries. However, Klopp's defensive options have been bolstered by the deadline-day arrivals of Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak.

The club completed the signing of Davies from Preston North End on a long-term contract. Kabak has joined Liverpool from Schalke on loan until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

Davies graduated through the academy ranks at Preston and went on to represent them on 145 occasions, scoring two goals, following his senior debut in January 2013.

"I'm obviously delighted to be here. It's a huge opportunity. Obviously it came as a bit of a surprise when it first came but once you start to get your head around it, the opportunity that is in front of me is incredible. I'd be silly to not make the most of it and learn off the players [at the club]," Davies had said after joining Liverpool.

( With inputs from ANI )