Fenerbahce suffer major injury blow ahead of Liverpool clash

Fenerbahce suffer major injury blow ahead of Liverpool clash Dirk Kuyt Faces Liverpool as Fenerbahce Injury Crisis Deepens Dirk Kuyt meets Liverpool on Wednesday, and the circumstances are awkward. He is in charge of Fenerbahce, temporarily, after the club moved on from Ismail Kartal on October 27, one day after a 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby. Kuyt had only joined the staff as an assistant in June. Now he has the job until a new head coach is appointed. So far, there has been no bounce. His first game ended in another 2-1 defeat, this time at home to Goztepe. Fenerbahce went ahead through Matteo Guendouzi in first-half stoppage time, then folded late on. Sinclair Armstrong equalised in the 76th minute, Henrique scored soon after, and that was that. Fenerbahce injuries leave Kuyt short at the back The bigger problem for Kuyt ahead of Liverpool is availability. Fenerbahce are sixth in the Super Lig with 16 points from 10 matches, nine behind Galatasaray, and the squad is thinning out in key areas. The latest issue came against Goztepe when Kojo Oppong pulled up in the 84th minute and had to be replaced by Yigit Efe Demir. Kuyt said afterwards that Oppong felt pain and made it clear he wanted to come off. The 22-year-old is now expected to miss the Liverpool game. That matters, because Oppong had only just come into the side for his first start after arriving from Nice in August for a reported €12 million. He had replaced Nathan Ake, who injured his hamstring against Slavia Prague on October 20 and is expected to be out for around three weeks. Jayden Oosterwolde is also unavailable, while Marco Asensio faces around three months out after knee cartilage surgery on October 21. Strip it down and Fenerbahce are left with Milan Skriniar and Demir as their only natural centre-backs. Liverpool Champions League form offers clear contrast Form in Europe is straightforward. Fenerbahce have yet to win in the Champions League, drawing 1-1 with Roma and 2-2 with Slavia Prague, before being dismantled 6-0 at Aston Villa on October 14. Liverpool, by contrast, have taken maximum points. Andoni Iraola’s side beat Atletico Madrid 2-1, won 6-3 away at LASK with a Bradley Barcola hat-trick, and then beat Villarreal 4-3. The domestic picture is slightly less clean after Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal, only their second Premier League loss of the season, but the European numbers remain strong. Dirk Kuyt reunion comes with pressure attached This is the emotional angle, but sentiment does not change the facts. Kuyt is dealing with a thin defence, weak league form and a team short on confidence. Liverpool arrive with a perfect Champions League record and more attacking depth. For Fenerbahce, this already looks like damage limitation. For Kuyt, facing his former club could hardly have come at a worse time.