Joel Matip May Have 'Small Tear' in Leg Says Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool defender Joel Matip may have suffered a "small tear" in his leg during the team's 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, according to manager Jurgen Klopp.

A disappointing night for the Reds in Charlotte was made worse when Matip hobbled out of the contest after playing a pass, sparking fears he had aggravated the problem that kept him sidelined since April last season.

Klopp allayed fears that Matip had picked up the same issue again, although the German confirmed the centre-back had picked up another knock, per Glenn Price of ESPN.

"It's not the same injury," said Klopp. "It's another muscle—it looks like, hopefully, only a little tear. We will see, but we cannot say any more [on] it now. It is, of course, the most negative thing about the day. It's not cool. Things like this can happen, but you don't want them to. Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will know more, but in this moment, we only know that it was too painful for him to carry on."

As noted by Dominic King of the Daily Mail, it was clear Matip was in some discomfort following the incident:

Matip suffered a thigh problem late last season, meaning he was unavailable for the run-in in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, in which the Reds made it to the final.

Against Dortmund, the Reds took the lead when Matip's central defensive partner Virgil van Dijk powered home a header. The Bundesliga side were then sparked into life by Christian Pulisic's introduction; he grabbed a brace, and Jacob Bruun Larsen notched the third.

Matip's injury is a worry for Liverpool as the Premier League season edges closer, as they are currently without Dejan Lovren after his run to the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Croatia.

While Van Dijk remains a pillar of the defence, Klopp now faces a defensive dilemma ahead of the season opener against West Ham United, assuming Matip won't make it in time. Joe Gomez was introduced into the game on Sunday in place of the Cameroonian, while Ragnar Klavan is another option to call upon.

Matip arrived at Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016 and has had regular knocks throughout his Liverpool career. According to Transfermarkt, he missed 23 games in 2017-18 due to three separate injury layoffs.