Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool is injured as the 2023–24 season drags on into February, despite playing just five official minutes. The 32-year-old’s much-anticipated return was abruptly cut short after just one appearance after a difficult 10-month injury layoff. Fans and commentators alike are wondering when he will be making a comeback because the details of it are still unclear.
According to Chris Bascombe’s disclosures in The Telegraph yesterday, Thiago will likely need “several weeks” to recover. Although it is not entirely accurate, this report gives those waiting for him a ray of hope.
It is anticipated that Jurgen Klopp will reveal more details about the health of Liverpool’s other injured players, including Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, and Dominik Szoboszlai, at his upcoming press conference. But the attention is still firmly fixed on Thiago, whose return is much awaited.
“Several weeks” could refer to anything from a brief three-week time to a longer two-month wait. Expectations are cautious due to Thiago’s recent luck—or lack thereof. That being said, there is still hope that he will return before the season ends.
Since last summer, there has been hope that Thiago will be a key player this term, despite his inconsistent play. His brief appearance against Arsenal earlier in the month stoked these hopes, but another setback with an injury crushed them.
The more injuries that Liverpool is suffering from, the more people want Thiago to get well quickly. The general agreement, though, is that it would be foolish to rush him back. However, a delightfully unexpected early comeback may greatly improve Liverpool’s season, particularly if Thiago could play in the twelve or so games that are left.
Thiago has been resignedly labelled as a luxury player by many Reds fans, with some even excluding him from the squad’s considerations. Still, if “several weeks” translate into a prompt recovery, that would be a huge benefit for the player as well as the team.