Medical expert: Liverpool have not told full truth about Roberto Firmino – ‘there’s an agenda’
Roberto Firmino was never likely to feature in the League Cup final – and it could be another couple of weeks until he returns for Liverpool.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Firmino is sidelined with a groin issue and has not featured since the Reds’ 1-0 win over Burnley earlier this month (13 February).
But Jurgen Klopp had suggested he had an outside chance of facing Chelsea in the League Cup final last Sunday (27 February)
As quoted by The Guardian last Friday (25 February), Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders said: “We hope he will be back really soon.”
Firmino had no chance of making the glory match at Wembley and could yet be out for “one or two weeks”, claims Dinnery.
“There’s always a narrative or agenda a manager subjects us to or that a club decides to push,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“Unless you’re following very closely all the time, you maybe won’t pick up some of these little things.
“Initially, with the Firmino injury, Klopp said he was going to be out for ‘quite a while’.
“That four, five, six-week period would have been in keeping with his previous muscle problems. But just a matter of days later, that changed.
“That maybe had something to do with giving people hope for the League Cup. But realistically, I never expected him to be a part of that squad.
“I certainly don’t expect him to play against Norwich. His recent game time has been severely hampered by soft tissue problems.
“They have now Jota, Diaz, Origi, Salah, Mane. So there’s no need to rush him back.
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he is out for another week or two yet.”
Firmino, who has struggled with various muscle problems this term, has registered eight goals and four assists in 24 appearances in 2021-22.
Liverpool are in FA Cup action against Norwich City tomorrow (2 March).
In other news, Kieran Maguire salutes “hell of an achievement” after £200m-plus Liverpool announcement.