Lack of backline backup could upstage Liverpool’s title defence

Liverpool’s disaster in defence deepened this week after centre-back Joe Gomez suffered a severe knee harm in coaching whereas on worldwide obligation with England. Gomez has since undergone a profitable surgical procedure however is predicted to be sidelined for a major a part of this season. The newest blow comes at a time when Liverpool have already misplaced three gamers to accidents in latest weeks.

Dutch star Virgil van Dijk was the primary on a protracted harm layoff following a horror deal with by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in final month’s Merseyside derby. Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold just lately sustained a calf harm that may maintain him out of motion until mid-December, whereas midfielder Fabinho, who has additionally been utilized by Jurgen Klopp as a back-up centre-back, is at present nursing a thigh harm however is predicted to be again after the worldwide break.

This leaves Klopp with Joel Matip as his first-choice centre-back. Matip, who just lately recovered from an harm, made simply 9 appearances within the league final season and three on this one. The Cameroonian centre-back has had a troublesome luck with accidents himself and has by no means managed 30 Premier League appearances in a single season since shifting to Liverpool in 2016.

The reigning English champions are actually assured to be with out their first-choice centre-back pair for almost all of what’s an already crammed season. The present state of affairs means children like Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips may characteristic extra prominently in coming months.

It additionally implies that Liverpool, who’ve proven indicators of vulnerability in defence this season, face a a lot more durable prospect of coming any near their defensive document of the final two campaigns. The Reds have already conceded 16 targets in eight league video games, together with seven of their humiliating loss at Aston Villa early October. Klopp’s crew had conceded simply 55 targets throughout 76 Premier League video games within the two seasons earlier than this and their backline performed a key position in Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League triumphs. The German tactician has already lashed out on the tight scheduling within the pandemic-hit season, saying that many gamers may miss out on the European Championships subsequent summer time. “Hopefully we can play the Euros next summer but if we continue like this let’s see which players can be part of that…Trent will be out for England (for the three games). What injury he has we don’t know but he cannot play for England and he is not the first and will not be the last that Gareth Southgate will miss,” Klopp had instructed reporters after the sport in opposition to Man City final Sunday.

Even England boss Southgate criticised the heavy fixture-list this season after Gomez’s harm. “I had a long chat with Jurgen. We’re all worried about the players. To lose a player like we did yesterday was really tragic…There needs to be a look at the calendar, we’re lucky we have six substitutes tonight and five for the Nations League (against Belgium and Iceland). We have to lessen the load (on the players). Unfortunately, the injury was so unique with what happened, it was a consequence of the number of games,” Southgate instructed ITV on Thursday.

It is tough to argue in opposition to Klopp and Southgate. United supervisor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had additionally expressed anger on the scarcity of relaxation days between video games after his aspect’s victory over Everton final weekend.

However, the issue for Liverpool is sophisticated by the dearth of bench power in defence. Missing a centre-back of Van Dijk’s affect and different key defenders might not be an entire doomsday situation however can significantly harm their prospects.

Many champion groups prior to now have seen their momentum halted after accidents to key defenders. A notable instance is that of Manchester United within the 2003/04 season when Rio Ferdinand was suspended for eight months for lacking a doping test. After main the league on the flip of the yr, the purpose at which Ferdinand’s suspension got here into impact, United gained simply seven of their final 18 video games, ending 15 factors behind winners Arsenal within the league and getting knocked out of the Champions League by Porto.

A decade later, Ferdinand’s injury-hit marketing campaign and lack of kind, together with an identical state of affairs for membership captain Nemanja Vidic, performed a component in defending champions United ending seventh underneath David Moyes.

Last season, Vincent Kompany’s departure from Manchester City noticed the membership lose some skilled defensive cowl that had helped them recover from the road in a decent title race in opposition to Liverpool the earlier marketing campaign.

There can be the 2010-11 season when all-conquering Inter Milan, who had gained the treble the season earlier than, turned a pale shadow of themselves after Rafael Benitez changed Jose Mourinho as supervisor. Benitez hadn’t begun the season badly, shedding simply one among their first 9 video games. However, after influential centre-back Walter Samuel sustained a long-term harm, the membership went on a dry spell and after a sequence of three losses in 4 video games, Benitez misplaced his job. Inter have been unable to revive their title defence within the league.

Liverpool will hope that Matip stays match and that their firepower up entrance might be sufficient to get them over the road in case their back-up defensive choices battle.