Is Rhys Williams the solution for Liverpool’s injury crisis in defence?

After winning the Premier League with ease, every Reds fan expected a strong dominance of the heavyweights in the English top-flight.

Things haven’t gone their way since the league resumed in September. In six games, they have won four, lost one, and drawn a game. The loss came against Aston Villa which was too heavy for a side like Liverpool. The team lost the game by a scoreline of 2-7 at Villa Park.

Though their form is not a concern for the manager, the defense has become the achilles heel for the gaffer. Despite having one of the best defenders in their ranks, Liverpool have already conceded 14 goals in six games. On top of the poor defensive record in this season, an injury to their star players hasn’t helped Jurgen Klopp.

For the Merseysiders, Virgil van Dijk is out for a minimum period of seven-eight months with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury that he suffered after a clash with Pickford in the derby. Fabinho was made the make-shift defender but the defensive midfielder is out with a hamstring injury.

The injury can be deemed a serious one with the Brazilian withdrawn from the national team. Brazil are scheduled to face Venezuela and Uruguay in the FIFA WC Qualifiers next month. On top of these two injuries, Joel Matip is facing fitness issues and has left Klopp with only one senior option, Joe Gomez.

In the wake of all these injuries, Jurgen Klopp has little to almost no options and has to dig deep into his squad and reserve players. Rhys Williams, Billy Koumetio, and Nat Phillips are the three options that the former Borussia Dortmund manager has to look to.

Rhys Williams this season

More from Editorials

• Arsenal legend Mesut Ozil announces retirement – Here’s his best assist
• Wrexham AFC: A Cinderella story all the way to the Premier League?
• Manchester United: What Went Wrong and What Can Be Done After Brentford Loss?
• West Ham Argentine players ranked: Where does Lanzini place?
• “A disgrace to the club” – A passionate rant from a Manchester United fan

Amongst those, Rhys Williams can be a long-term solution too for the manager if given the chance. The current injury crisis, Williams is the perfect player to pair up with Joe Gomez against West Ham and the fixtures that follow.

He has stepped in for Liverpool twice in the Champions League and has enjoyed a dream debut season to date. The player is enjoying a great run with both the U23s as well as the senior side.

For the U23s in the Premier League 2, Williams started all three games and has a goal to his name. In his three appearances, his goal came against Chelsea where the player was deployed as a central midfielder.

In the two Carabao Cup games, he was phenomenal for the side. Despite them getting knocked out of the cup in the fourth round, Rhys Williams was able to keep a clean sheet against Arsenal.

He clocked 2.5 interceptions per game in the League Cup which is certainly positive news for the manager. On the big stage like the Champions League, he has 0.5 interceptions per game along with a pass percentage being close to 90%.

Rhys Williams is still a raw and attractive talent for Jurgen Klopp to work with. The Liverpool youngster went on loan to non-league side, Kidderminster Harriers.

Playing under Russell Penn, the Preston-born player developed himself into a towering defender after a slow start. The manager was in the mood to get the player back on loan but Liverpool denied them straight away.

The 19-year-old is a leader, a presence in defense, and versatile at the back. He can play left-back and left wing-back too, which can be handy for a manager like Klopp.

However, the player would require constant support from Alisson and Joe Gomez which would help the player to settle in at the back in the absence of Fabinho and VVD.

Can he do the job for Jurgen against David Moyes’ West Ham United on Saturday, who have been in fine form?