STEPHEN KENNY has said that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's suggestion that Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher was injured in the last international break 'caught him by surprise.
Kelleher has not featured for Liverpool during their pre-season tour and also missed the 3-1 win in the Community Shield.
Klopp spoke to Liverpool's website last week, and made the comments regarding the Corkman.
"Caoimh felt something after the international game and everybody, the medical department there, told him it’s fine and it will be good after holiday,” said Klopp. “He came back and first training, [he] felt it again. We checked it and it was not good.”
Kenny has refuted the Liverpool manager's claims and said his comments 'caught us by surprise.'
Klopp says Kelleher picked up his groin injury on international duty... — Jack Sear (@JackSear) August 3, 2022
Ireland boss Stephen Kenny doesn't seem to think that's the case 🤔https://t.co/UNp4CEgskR
“It caught us by surprise I must say,” admitted Kenny,
“I actually wasn’t aware that he was injured, to be honest with you.
If he had of been injured, he would have been out of training or not training.
I’d have comfortably played Mark Travers because he really excelled in the training camp, and it looks like he has come up a notch again. If Caoimhín wasn’t right, I would have selected Mark with full confidence. That was a surprise to me to see that.”
Regardless of if Kelleher is fit or not, he will not be Klopp's first choice in the league, when it does get back underway this weekend.
Liverpool play Fulham at 12.30 on Saturday in the early kick-off.
