Pep Lijnders on how Thiago almost missed the 2022 Champions League final

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has opened up on how Thiago Alcantara almost missed the 2022 Champions League final.

Prior to the clash against Real Madrid in Paris, the midfielder suffered a muscular injury.

With that being the case, Thiago required an injection to to considered 'fit' for the match.

However, the medical treatment almost ruled the Spaniard out of the biggest final in club football.

As quoted by Anfield Watch on Twitter, Lijnders told The Athletic the following: "Thiago didn’t do the warm-up as he couldn’t feel his toes after his latest injection. He told me just before going out and he said, ‘make sure Naby (Keita) is ready’.

"I will tell you one thing: these are things a coach doesn’t want to hear just before a final. The problem was that if he would not start he couldn’t be on the bench. We were in doubt and only after the fast-feet work we decided to trust him that he felt he could play.

"He was experienced enough to make this call. Naby was insane dealing with this whole situation, I have to say – credit to him.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

Thiago was certainly not himself against Real Madrid. The midfielder had no real influence on the game.

Perhaps Jurgen Klopp would have been better off starting Keita. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Liverpool ended up losing the final 1-0. Thibaut Courtois was superb on the night. The Real Madrid goalkeeper pulled off a number of saves to keep the Reds goalless.

But, that does happen from time-to-time in football. Hopefully the Reds can go one better and claim the European Cup next season.

Only time will tell if that is to occur.