“If you’re out of season, we have … well, let’s think about this …”

Facing the league leaders, away from home, with the possibility of losing four First Choice players through injury, is not an ideal way to return to Premier League matches for any team.

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp’s squad looks inauspicious as he prepares for Sunday’s trip to Leicester. Forward key Mohamed Salah tested positive for Corona virus While performing an international duty with Egypt. Captain Jordan Henderson withdrew from the England squad in the Nations League match against Iceland.

But in the background the problems really stack up. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are set to miss most of this season, while full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson missed the internationals due to fitness concerns.

How bad is the reds injury?

This is bad. Well, as bad as it could be, a champion team is still one point behind leaders Leicester.

Klopp miss Van Dijk since the middle of the first half Damage to the anterior cruciate ligaments (AFC Champions League) when Jordan Pickford saved him in a 2–2 draw in the Premier League at Everton on October 17th.

Gomez has undergone surgery for a knee injury he sustained while training with England and is likely to miss a “significant portion” for the rest of the season, according to the club.

Alexander-Arnold suffered a calf injury and missed the last England match, while Scotland captain Robertson suffered a hamstring injury. Even the midfielder Fabinho, who was standing in favor of Van Dijk in defense, Injured. The Brazilian is set to return after this international break, having missed the Reds’ last three matches.

Van Dijk played all 3,420 minutes of winning the title last season, while Alexander Arnold (3176) and Robertson (3113) were nearly in attendance.

See also  I gained 10 kg. This is how her fans reacted

Gomez made 22 matches out of 38 in the Premier League, but he was undoubtedly the first choice this season before injury.

Player The antenna beat Lumps Head permits Helps Full passes
Virgil Van Dyck 191 14 83 1 2902
Joe Gomez 70 8 25 0 1750
Trent Alexander-Arnold 16 0 29 13 1871
Andrew Robertson 33 7 25 12 2086
Joel Matip 47 4 24 0 466
Nico Williams 6 1 1 0 135
James Milner 13 2 7 2 650
All Premier League stats for the 2019-20 season only

Van Dijk completed more assists than anyone else in the Premier League last season, while Burnley defender James Tarkovsky was the only defender to win more aerial challenges. There’s a reason the Dutchman is seen as the most complete defender in the division.

Only Manchester City playmaker, Kevin De Bruyne, has had more assists in the league than full-backs – and their absence will be just as perceptible to the advance as in defense.

So far this season, Liverpool have maintained only one clean sheet in the league and conceded 16 goals – only Leeds and West Bromwich (both 17) allowed more in. At the same stage last season, they scored only six goals and had clean sheets.

They have won the fewest aerial challenges (90) and have made the fewest headshots (36) in the league this season – but only lost once, 7-2 Aston Villa crush On October 4th.

What are their options?

So, with Gomez out now, who is filling the place?

Joel Matip of Cameroon is the only suitable defender in the club and he should be starting. However, he has suffered injury problems of his own, having played only three times this season, and it is generally accepted that he cannot play three matches a week.

Player The antenna beat Lumps Head permits Helps Full passes
Virgil Van Dyck 12 1 2 0 307
Joe Gomez 21 2 12 0 499
Trent Alexander-Arnold 2 0 3 1 422
Andrew Robertson 6 4 2 2 469
Joel Matip 3 0 1 0 92
Fabinho 6 2 4 0 352
Nat Phillips 5 0 6 0 66
All Premier League stats for the 2020-2021 season only

She has played Nat Phillips, 23, and 19-year-old Reese Williams in recent weeks. Phillips can only play locally because he is not registered in Europe however He featured in his Premier League debut against West Ham On October 31.

Williams has appeared five times this season and has not looked troubled, making his debut in the UEFA Champions League just one year after entering the field on loan to Kedermenster in the Northern National League, the sixth division of English football.

Klopp also played midfielders Henderson and Giorgio Wijnaldum in defense, the first in the Club World Cup and the last away from home in Brighton.

Reserve left-back Kostas Tsimikas has not played a single minute in the Premier League yet, while the always-counting James Milner can fill either wing.

Who can look to bring it?

Could Liverpool make a big purchase in the middle of the season? Van Dyck himself had an expensive purchase in January – he moved to Anfield from Southampton For 75 million pounds sterling at the start of 2018.

After eliminating striker Diogo Jota and midfielder Thiago in the summer, Klopp was satisfied with this season’s match with three major central defenders and leaving Diane Lovren leaving.

Hindsight suggests it was a rare Klopp’s mistake – a mistake similar to Manchester City’s decision not to replace Vincent Kompany When he left in 2019.

But who would the Reds look at if they acted?

RB Leipzig’s 21-year-old defender Dayot Upamecano – who is said to have a £ 40m penalty clause on his contract from next summer – is a player who has already attracted the attention of several major European clubs. But Obamecano was torn apart by Marcus Rashford when Manchester United beat Leipzig 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League on October 28.

Connor Coady
Connor Cody played two games for his childhood club Liverpool before joining Huddersfield in 2014

Napoli player Kalido Coulibaly has been repeatedly linked with a move to the top of the Premier League.

Brighton player Ben White, 23, was said to have been on Liverpool’s radar at the end of last season but has been playing midfield with Nawras recently.

Returning Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Connor Cody to the club was a recent suggestion by former Reds defender Jimmy Carragher during a fun interview on Sky Sports.

Cody was with the Reds for seven years as an academy player before making his debut in 2012 – alongside Carragher – their first two games with the club.

His stock has risen dramatically in recent months as he has established himself as part of the England squad led by Gareth Southgate. He has impressed at Wolverhampton since their return to the 2018 Premier League, playing like Van Dijk every minute of his last Premier League campaign.

But the former midfielder plays for club and country in three defense and just has I signed a new five-year contract.

Stick or winding? That could be based on what the January 1 league table looks like.

About the BBC iPlayer BannerAbout the BBC iPlayer footer