An item that will bring comfort to a lot of Liverpool supporters is that Joel Matip, the veteran center back, has made considerable progress toward his long-term ACL injury recovery.
Fans have been keenly monitoring Matip’s recuperation since he needed surgery following Liverpool’s 4-3 victory against Fulham at the beginning of December.
Although it was previously anticipated that the towering center back would miss the rest of the season, manager Jurgen Klopp disclosed at the end of March that Matip has resumed running on the AXA Training Center’s outside grounds for the first time since the injury. Fortunately, Matip was observed using a ball during Friday’s training session once more, albeit not with the main squad.
MATIP’S LAST WEEKS IN THE LIVERPOOL SET
It’s now a race against time for the Cameroonian to decide whether or not to don a Red shirt going forward. With two games remaining in the season and his contract expiring soon, it seems unlikely that he will play for Liverpool again.
Although shortly after Matip’s injury, Klopp had stated that the club would like to extend his contract; nonetheless, Matip’s status has become more uncertain following the management change this summer. After Liverpool’s final match against Wolves on May 19, the decision over Matip’s future will probably be made public along with the list of players who were released, which might also include other well-known players like Thiago Alcantara and Mateusz Musialowski.
THIS SUMMER, NEW CENTRE-BACKS ARE A PRIORITY FOR LIVERPOOL
Due to contract uncertainties, Liverpool has been connected to a number of center backs before the summer, including Feyenoord’s versatile players Lutsharel Geertruida and Mats Wieffer, as well as Willian Pacho from Eintracht Frankfurt and Goncalo Inacio from Sporting CP. In addition, talks are anticipated to begin on Virgil van Dijk’s new contract. Matip will always be remembered as a cult hero if he does leave Anfield after eight glorious years of service. Matip has made 201 appearances for Liverpool despite injuries, won every award imaginable and making a name for himself as one of the best-ever free signings in Premier League history.