Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits defensive crisis for Brighton trip with Joel Matip injured and Ragnar Klavan ill: 'We don't have many choices'

• e-mail

Liverpool face a defensive crisis for their weekend Premier League trip to Brighton with Joel Matip out and Ragnar Klavan doubtful. 

Jurgen Klopp's Reds take on the Seagulls on Saturday, but will have to do so without Matip, who suffered an injury in their midweek league win at Stoke City. 

Matip's obvious replacement at centre back, Klavan, has been feeling sick, and the manager says he will make a final call on Friday afternoon following training.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool face a defensive crisis for their Premier League trip to Brighton

Klopp's Reds take on the Seagulls on Saturday, but will have to do so without injured Joel Matip

Matip's obvious replacement at centre back, Ragnar Klavan, is ill and will be assessed

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Klopp said: ‘It looks like Joel Matip is out, after the Stoke game he felt something, we have to make a final assessment before tomorrow.

'Adam Lallana is still building up fitness, and Ragnar Klavan was ill, hopefully not anymore given the Matip situation, so we do not have many choices in defence. 

'We have a few knocks, with the Wednesday-Saturday there is not a lot of time to recover.’   

The injuries could leave Liverpool's often maligned defence down to its bare bones, with Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez as the only fit centre backs. 

Liverpool did not sign a central defender in the summer after their pursuit of Southampton's Virgil van Dijk failed, leaving them with few options. 

Klopp admitted Simon Mignolet should have been sent off in their midweek win over Stoke

Klopp meanwhile admitted he could understand Stoke manager Mark Hughes' anger over the failure of referee Martin Atkinson to send off Reds keeper Simon Mignolet in midweek.

Mignolet brought down Mame Biram Diouf as the last man but was only booked, and Liverpool went on to win the game 3-0.

Klopp said: ‘It is the first time this season that we were lucky in a situation, we were lucky I admit.

'I was 100 per cent sure it was the right decision at the time, because I thought Gomez was in position, but I did not realise it would have been 100 per cent goal

'If it had been red for Mignolet, we would not have complained.'