"Risks can't be taken..." - Wolves issue statement ahead of Liverpool clash

Wolves have confirmed that four players cannot be risked in their recoveries ahead of the side's Premier League clash against Liverpool on Saturday.

Julen Lopetegui's side are battling to pull clear of the relegation zone, currently sitting outside of the bottom three on goal difference.

They have scored just 12 goals in their 20 games this season - a divisional low - with the club attempting to remedy that with the big-money signing of Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid last month.

They face a Liverpool side that are now 10 points off the top four places, with the Reds largely struggling for form since the league's post-World Cup resumption.

Jurgen Klopp's side have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, and are winless in three Premier League fixtures amid injuries to a number of key players.

Wolves, meanwhile, have been dealing with an injury crisis of their own in what is a relatively small squad - and have released an update on four of their stricken players ahead of the Liverpool match.

Wolves release statement on injured players

Lopetegui's side are currently without four senior players, all of whom are recovering from long-term injuries.

Striker Sasa Kalajdzic is recovering from a serious knee injury picked up on his debut for the club in September, whilst Pedro Neto (muscle, October) and Boubacar Traore (groin, December) are also absent.

Meanwhile, midfielder Chiquinho suffered an ACL injury during a pre-season game in July, and the fact that doctors told him that he would be able to play football again after surgery emphasises how serious the damage was.

The club have taken the step of releasing a club statement, via the medical team, on the recoveries of all four players - and it doesn't look like being good news ahead of Saturday's fixture.

The statement reads: "All four players are in the rehabilitation process and are recovering at their own pace. Timings are being adhered to, according to the guidelines set by the surgeons who operated on each individual.

"They are being treated and looked after with caution, as each injury has its own complexities, and risks can't be taken. The players are at Compton every day, so we're in close communication, providing regular updates and setting targets every week, and they're responding well.

"Sasa and Chiquinho require more time given their injuries, however, we have no concerns that they'll fully recover and return to playing football at the same level as before. Chiquinho is further along in the rehabilitation process and is likely to return to the grass earlier than Sasa."

Traore, meanwhile, has had surgery on his groin injury, and Neto is set to return to full training soon. However, he will not feature against Liverpool on Saturday, the team he scored against at Anfield on the final day of last season.