London — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says their current problems cannot be solved in the January transfer window, as he struggles with an injury crisis.
After back-to-back wins when the Premier League resumed following the World Cup, Klopp's men lost 3-1 at Brentford and were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Wolves in the FA Cup.
Liverpool, who finished second in the Premier League last season, are languishing in seventh place in the table, seven points outside the top four.
Klopp is currently missing forwards Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz, while Darwin Nunez faces a race to be fit to face Brighton on Saturday, but his midfield has also suffered with injury problems this season.
Liverpool have already signed Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for an initial £37 million (about R752m), but the Reds boss admits that is likely to be their only purchase this month as there are not the resources available to deepen the squad.
"Come on, do I have to tell the money story again? What could be the reason — that we have money like crazy but we don't buy the players even when they are available?" Klopp said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"That's what you think of me, after all the years? Why do you ask the question when the answer lies on the table. You know the answer."
He added: "We have, on top of that, the problem that in the moment four of our offensive players are injured. Now, we buy another one then they will come back, Darwin soon, the others a little bit later, and then we have seven strikers.
"We couldn't even put them all on the Champions League list. It is just not that easy. You cannot solve the problems, especially with injuries.
"Injuries are the big, big shadow over all of us because we cannot solve it in the transfer window."
Klopp will wait until the last moment before making a decision on Uruguay international Nunez.
"If he cannot train today then, yes, that would rule him out," he said. "We are waiting for the latest information. It is not a major one, but it still kept him out of training. We have to wait for that."
AFP