Kostas Tsimikas had detailed how big a loss Luis Diaz will be to the Liverpool squad after the Colombian winger suffered a severe setback in his recovery from a knee injury.
Diaz, who was initially sidelined with a knee problem during the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal back in October, flew out to Dubai with the rest of Liverpool's 33-man squad. While Jurgen Klopp had no intention of rushing the winger back by involving him in their Dubai Super Cup campaign, he along with the likes Diogo Jota and Arthur Melo were due to be slowly reintegrated with first-team training as they continued their respective rehab programmes.
But on Friday afternoon it was confirmed that the 25-year-old had flown back to the UK after complaining of pain in the injured knee during training . By Saturday morning, there were now confirmed reports that Diaz will likely be out until March after requiring surgery on an issue with the lateral collateral ligament.
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Such a prognosis will extend the Colombian's time on the sidelines to around five months and is a devastating setback at a point where he was due to return to on-pitch work in Dubai. And speaking between Sunday's defeat to Lyon and the Reds' upcoming meeting with AC Milan, Tsimikas could not understate the impact of the setback on him and his teammates.
“Very, very sad about the news," Tsimikas told Football Daily of Diaz's injury. "It’s not only his football skills, he always brings good vibes to the team, even if he doesn't speak English! I’m feeling very, very bad for him because he's a very good player and when he plays he helps the team.
"It's a big loss for us but, as I said, all the boys are ready to help the team so whoever is ready, they have to play and they have to deliver as Luis did before.”
Speaking after Sunday's friendly at the Al-Maktoum Stadium, Klopp described the latest setback as a 'smash in the face', adding that Diaz is 'not in the best possible place [mentally], that is clear.'
The injury leaves Liverpool with just three fit senior forwards for their Carabao Cup meeting with Manchester City and the resumption of Premier League football on Boxing Day, when they face Aston Villa. Jota is likely to remain sidelined until February, with Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino the trio available.
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