Jurgen Klopp dismissed the talk of Joel Matip’s return to international football with the defender not considering playing again for Cameroon.
Matip has been an influential presence at the back for the Reds this season with the 30-year-old firming his starting berth on the team sheet to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the backline.
Despite the recruitment of the highly-promising Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig in the summer, Matip remains Klopp’s go-to name to make the starting XI on a regular basis so far in this campaign.
He has not turned out for Cameroon since 2015 but the recent election of Samuel Eto’o as president of Cameroon’s Football Association had led to the talk that Matip could mull over on a return to the international team fold.
Klopp in his recent pre-match presser has said, however, that the Liverpool defender is not considering coming out of his exile from the Cameroon camp ahead of the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations which is due to take place next month.
“(Joel) doesn’t consider (returning to international football).”
“I spoke to him and he said no. It’s just news out there in the world with nothing behind (it).”
