Expert: Arthur Melo faces Liverpool ‘misery’ after training ground update
Jurgen Klopp cannot afford to experiment with Arthur Melo given the current pressure on Liverpool to turn their poor form around.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Arthur Melo is yet to play a single minute of Premier League football for Liverpool after joining the club on loan from Juventus in the summer.
The Brazilian midfielder underwent thigh surgery back in October and is yet to return to contention for the Reds.
However, Jurgen Klopp offered a promising update on his recovery last month (27 January), suggesting Arthur was just two weeks away from joining first-team training.
Dinnery believes Arthur has the potential to be like a new signing for Liverpool but insists the club’s current situation means his “misery” on the sidelines is likely to continue for a while longer.
“The difficulty for new players when they arrive in the Premier League is usually adapting to the intensity and the physicality,” Dinnery told Football Insider.
“Arthur Melo hasn’t had the chance to do that yet, with injury and fitness stopping him from getting a chance at Liverpool.
“And given the current climate at Anfield and their sticky situation in the league, there’s a lot of pressure on Jurgen Klopp and the squad to turn things around.
“It isn’t an ideal situation for Klopp to try and bed in a new player after such a frustrating start at the club and so Arthur’s misery is likely to continue.
“He has the potential to provide a boost and be like a new signing for Liverpool, but it will also take him time to get up to speed and fitness.
“But with so many games and so much pressure on Liverpool, Klopp can’t afford that right now.“
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