Liverpool’s Matip to undergo surgery, likely to miss rest of season

London, April 3 (IANS) Liverpool FC's central defender Joel Matip will probably require surgery on a thigh injury which would rule him out for the rest of the football season, the English Premier League (EPL) club said on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old sustained the injury during the team's late comeback 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday, reports Efe.

"Matip was able to complete the full 90 minutes of the fixture, but afterwards medical assessment on the thigh revealed surgery is expected to be required to correct the problem," a statement on the Liverpool club website said.

"The operation is likely to end the 26-year-old's involvement in the remainder of the 2017-18 season", the club added.

Matip has been a key part of the Liverpool team which has reached the quarter finals of the Champions League, and is third in the Premier League table.

The Cameroon international has formed a valuable partnership with Dutch center back Virgil Van Dijk, who became the world's most expensive defender when he joined for 75 million pounds ($105.4 million) from Southampton during the winter transfer window.

Matip's injury is a blow to manager Juergen Klopp, as the German prepares his side to face league leaders Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday.

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