Liverpool suffer injury blow after new Thiago Alcantara setback with Wataru Endo set to return

The 32-year-old has not started in over a year and could now have played his final match for the Reds, but the Japanese midfielder could return against Burnley

Liverpool will be without Thiago Alcantara again after the midfielder was injured five minutes into his comeback.

The 32-year-old made his first appearance of the season as a late substitute in Sunday's defeat at Arsenal but sustained a muscle problem.

Liverpool are waiting to see how serious it is but Thiago, who had been out with a hip problem, faces another spell on the sidelines.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder has not started a match for over a year. His contract ends in the summer, when he is likely to leave Anfield.

The Premier League leaders are also likely to be without Dominik Szoboszlai against Burnley on Saturday but Wataru Endo will be able to return after Japan were knocked out of the Asia Cup.

After a setback against Arsenal, Andy Robertson is convinced the Reds will produce a response against the Clarets.

“You have to process it and you have to see what we did wrong, and unfortunately there was quite a bit that we didn’t do the way people have probably been used to watching [from us] this season,” said the Scot.

“We’ve been very consistent in the way we’ve played and the way we’ve gone about our business. I think [on] Sunday we weren’t that team that everyone has become used to kind of watching again.

“Yeah, it wasn’t a great performance; we didn’t start the game well and we go in at half-time and probably didn’t really deserve [to be level]. Then you start the second half really well and then obviously everything else unfolded.

“Mistakes happen; two of our probably best performers this season get into a mix-up, but my God, we’d be in such a different position if it wasn’t for those two guys this season.”