Liverpool legend Ronnie Whelan has joked that in his day Reds players used to run appendicitis off, in light of Jurgen Klopp missing the Merseyside giants' 2-2 draw at home against Sunderland on Saturday to have his appendix removed.
The Reds were 2-0 ahead against the Black Cats at Anfield heading into the final ten minutes of the game, but conceded twice to end the game having to settle for a point.
Klopp was absent from the touchline due to his appendicitis and legend Whelan, along with ex-Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer, believes the German would have made a difference had he been there.
Analysing the game on LFC TV, McAteer said: "I don't think we would have drawn if he'd been standing on the touchline. I think he was missed today.
"I don't think we would have conceded that second goal and I don't think we would have conceded the first goal", he added.
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And Whelan commented: "There may have been more intensity at the start if he was there screaming and shouting at people."
The ex-Reds midfielder, who played for the club from 1979 until 1994, joked: "I would have played on.
"We used to run appendicitis off."
Liverpool will be 12 points off the top four if Arsenal beat Bournemouth tomorrow and with just 13 league games left in the campaign, the Reds' hopes of securing Champions League football for next term look all but over.
