Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez all sustained knocks in Saturday’s win at Brentford. Thiago Alcantara, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker and Dominik Szoboszlai have all also been sidelined in the past three weeks.
Klopp already had Joel Matip and Ben Doak absent through long-term issues. And now Salah, who was forced to play 46 minutes at Brentford on his return from a hamstring injury due to Jota’s setback, is suffering from fatigue.
There are question marks as to whether he will feature in the midweek match against Luton and if he is not, there are concerns he may not be fit to feature at Wembley this weekend. Salah’s return at the Gtech Community Stadium was his first outing for the Premier League leaders since New Year’s Day.
The Egyptian had missed four league matches, two FA Cup games and both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-finals due to the Africa Cup of Nations and then his hamstring tear.
Klopp said, while also offering an update on Nunez who is expected to miss the Luton game: “He [Nunez] felt that in that game and there was nothing around. We go day by day. It is day by day as well with Mo.
“It’s a similar area where he feels it [fatigue] a little bit. We have to see how it develops. It’s nothing crazy, but we have to see.” Jota faces “months” out while Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai have yet to return to team training ahead of Sunday’s final.
Jones, similarly, faces a spell out due to a bone ligament problem. Yet Klopp is determined to remain positive despite the Reds facing eight matches across four competitions over the next 25 days before the March international break.
He said: “Whatever line up we have [vs Luton], I want people not to be in a situation where they are like, ‘oh he’s out, he’s out, he’s out’ because a couple of players will be out that is definitely the case. A few players will be out.
“It is bad luck yes but it is absolutely our job tomorrow night to be as strong as possible and if we play at home I have to ask for the support. If we are in a good mood and go for it but the crowd thinks, ‘Yes but he would have scored there’ then that is a problem.
“Whoever plays will run his socks off that is clear. There are 5,000 different ways to win a football game and we only have to find one. That should always be possible, especially at home where we can generate a dynamic where people can grow above themselves, that you really can be the best version of yourself.
“Who then cares about the number on your back or the position you play? It’s actually not important, it’s just what can you contribute, what can you bring to the team. If we didn’t know that before, we’ve learned that this year 100 per cent.”
Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz could feature in a makeshift front three against Luton. Ryan Gravenberch is likely to take Jones’ place in midfield next to Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister.
Klopp may opt to rotate in defence where he has Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas among his options to bring into the side. Bobby Clark, Kaide Gordon and James McConnell will be some of the younger players on the bench hopeful of getting minutes against the Hatters.