Injuries to blame for Liverpool inconsistency - Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp has emphasised the significance of injury issues in Liverpool's "difficult situation" as they attempt to find more consistency this season.

The Reds are currently eighth in the Premier League after a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, their third top-flight loss of the campaign.

They have had a number of players unavailable and while Darwin Nunez and Ibrahima Konate could return from injury in Wednesday’s Champions League game at Ajax, the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota remain sidelined.

Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are ineligible having not been included in the Reds’ squad for the group stage.

Boss Klopp – whose side will seal last-16 qualification if they avoid defeat at the Johan Cruyff Arena tonight – said: "We see the performances and they’re not as stable and consistent as they were, that’s clear. Explanations for that – injuries a little bit.

"We couldn’t put in so far consistent performances, that’s the point we know. But we were now actually in a good moment until we lost against Nottingham Forest, in a strange game, with a lot of problems for us – some players were injured, some were not allowed to play but were there, let me say it like this. Then you play against a deep defending side and you lose a game after a set-piece which we should win.

"Do I expect us to play better, consistently? Yes. Am I ready to make the necessary steps to get there? Yes. Very good performances on a consistent level don’t fall off the trees, you have to work for it, and you have to go for it in the long term.

"It’s what we are doing. We are working on trying to turn each screw and will do that without being nervous or thinking something is going against us.

"We know it’s a