Liverpool have suffered a major injury setback after star right-back Jeremie Frimpong was forced off just 12 minutes into his appearance for the Netherlands against Ecuador on Tuesday night.
The 25-year-old, who joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, came on at half-time in place of Cody Gakpo but lasted less than 15 minutes before limping straight down the tunnel.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw in Eindhoven, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman confirmed the substitution was not precautionary but necessary.
Although the full extent of the injury is still being evaluated by the Dutch medical staff, early indications point to a recurrence of the muscle problems that have troubled Frimpong throughout his first season at Liverpool.
“It’s a muscular issue. Jeremie felt something sharp and we couldn’t take the risk. It’s frustrating for him and for his club, especially so soon after coming on,” Koeman explained.
This latest blow adds to what has been a disrupted debut campaign for the £29.5m signing. After an impressive start that included a goal on his Community Shield debut, Frimpong has already faced two lengthy spells on the sidelines.
He missed the opening month of the Premier League due to a hamstring injury and was out again for nearly two months between December and February.
The timing couldn’t be worse, as he had just reclaimed his starting role under Arne Slot, featuring for 60 minutes in each of Liverpool’s last three matches before the international break.
With a crucial FA Cup clash against Manchester City coming up on Saturday, Liverpool now face a defensive crisis. Backup right-back Conor Bradley is already ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Slot may once again have to rely on Dominik Szoboszlai in an emergency right-back role, which would weaken the midfield.
Overall, this setback raises fresh concerns about Liverpool’s squad depth as they continue to compete for both Premier League and cup success
