Medical insider reveals Joel Matip ‘truth’ after Liverpool training ground reveal
It is likely that Liverpool defender Joel Matip has suffered an overuse injury.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Matip, 31, has not featured in either of Liverpool’s last two matches after he suffered a groin injury in training.
As quoted by club media last Sunday (21 August), Jurgen Klopp revealed that “he didn’t feel anything in training” but returned the following day complaining of a problem.
The manager also explained that the Cameroonian centre-back, who is one of 10 Liverpool stars currently sidelined, is facing up to four weeks out.
Dinnery suggested what the mechanism of injury might explain about his setback.
“What we do know about groin-related problems is that there is a lot going on in that area,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Sometimes, it is even referred to as ‘spaghetti junction’. There are lots of things happening, and because of that, it’s quite easy to pick up little niggles.
“When you pull up sharply and feel pain, that is indicative of a tear or some kind of muscle damage. But when you have an onset of pain, maybe an irritation, that can indicate something slightly different.
“That may be something that has been ongoing, with pain gradually becoming greater and greater. That can be an overuse injury, which would tally with a heavy pre-season programme.
“We also have to consider the demands that Liverpool were under last season.
“The initial timeline was around about a fortnight period, which again would have suggested a minor knock. But now Klopp has talked about maybe three or four weeks, so there is some uncertainty.
“The truth is, I think what he has described sounds like an overuse as opposed to a sharp pull or a tear. When this happens, you need to ease back and rest.
“It’s all about how the body responds on a day-to-day basis. That is why we see such a difference in return-to-play timelines.”
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