Liverpool face another anxious wait as new selection concern emerges for Jurgen Klopp

With each passing week, it becomes increasingly apparent there may only be one thing that stops Liverpool from being crowned champions of England for the 20th time this season.

And there's largely nothing they can do about it.

The injury absenteeism with which Jurgen Klopp has grappled for most of the campaign has reached new levels during the past week, with Alisson Becker, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota joining a treatment room already occupied by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak.

Jurgen Klopp shares fresh Liverpool injury update after Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah concerns

I cannot be a***d with VAR after what happened to me against Liverpool

Given the small matter of a League Cup final on Sunday, along with an FA Cup fifth round tie against Southampton three days later and the resumption of the Europa League the following week, the increase in missing players has arrived at precisely the wrong time for a squad that has thus far impressively negotiated challenging on four fronts.

However, the priority - both immediate and long-term - is the Premier League, with Liverpool heading into Wednesday's visit of relegation-threatened Luton Town standing clear at the summit. But with 13 games still remaining, there remains plenty of scope for that to change with Arsenal and Manchester City in hot pursuit.

The Reds, then, can ill afford to be without players through needless suspension. And there are two who are veering dangerously close to ruling themselves out of key matches in the coming weeks.

Totting up 10 yellow cards up to and including the 32nd game of the Premier League season - which, at present for Liverpool, would be the visit to Manchester United