Liverpool make late change to Europa League squad over Ibrahima Konate injury concerns
Liverpool have called up another youngster to their Europa League squad ahead of Thursday's clash with Sparta Prague as Jurgen Klopp eyes more cover for injured defender Ibrahima Konate.
Konate suffered a muscle injury during the first leg between the two sides last week and missed the 1-1 draw with Manchester City as a result. He is not expected to play any role against Sparta on Thursday.
With Joel Matip also out and Joe Gomez increasingly seen as a full-back and utility player, Klopp lined up Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk alongside young Jarell Quansah against City, with only 17-year-old Amara Nallo as cover on the bench.
Nallo, however, is not eligible for the Europa League as he has not been handed a senior spot in the squad registration and has not been at the club long enough to be included on the B-List for Under-21 players.
To fill the void in the squad, Klopp has now drafted in another 17-year-old, Carter Pinnington, who has been added to Liverpool's B-List ahead of Thursday's game.
Alongside Matip, Liverpool are also without Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak for the game.
Forward Mohamed Salah is inching closer to full fitness after coming off the bench in the last two matches, but Klopp insisted he will not throw the Egyptian in at the deep end until he is fully healthy.
«I am not sure he is ready for 90 minutes or that we should do 90 minutes but he is ready to start,» Klopp said. «He would've been ready to start the last game but you don't know how long does it makes sense.
»It is always the problem when players come back. I can't remember a game where I thought, 'Ah, Mo Salah cannot play, no problem' – it has never happened so it is not
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