As Liverpool chased an unprecedented quadruple last season, avoiding injuries for the majority of the second half of the campaign in the process as they pushed in vain for the Premier League title, it was perhaps no surprise that come the business end of the year, their intense calendar took its toll.
In the space of a mid-May week, as they came from behind to beat Aston Villa before defeating Chelsea on penalties to lift the FA Cup, they lost three of their most important stars to injury setbacks, with the trio not starting again until the Champions League final loss to Real Madrid. Rushed back and not 100%, in hindsight it should be no surprise that Jurgen Klopp ’s side fell flat in Paris.
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho are three of the first names on the German's teamsheet and have been ever since moving to Anfield, playing a decisive role in transforming Liverpool into a side that could compete for Premier League and Champions League titles. Therefore it was inevitably most alarming back in May as they each pulled up one by one on the Reds’ final straight.
