Liverpool: Overcoming the Joe Gomez injury at Anfield
Another one bites the dust! Cliche, but the only way to explain the tragedy transpiring at Liverpool Football Club.
Liverpool have been knocked hard with the injury bug while they try to defend their English honours this season. The funny story (not a funny story actually) all of the serious and long-term injury layoffs has been to the Reds’ backline.
Not long after announcing they would be without Trent Alexander-Arnold following a calf problem sustained in their 1-1 Manchester City draw last weekend, they now face a lengthy spell without Joe Gomez available for selection.
He was involved in a training incident that has seen him withdraw from the national team followed by a successful surgery on his knee that has Jurgen Klopp, manager of the Reds, dreading the next few months. This is bad, bad, extremely bad news for the Liverpool boss.
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Joel Matip only just returned from his injury issue with Fabinho yet to return after the international break. This has again left Klopp with only one senior centre back and a defensive midfielder who is able to slot into the CB position with ease and do it excellently.
Solutions must be found and done so in a timeless fashion. Having to cope without Virgil van Dijk, who has been missing for a month already and who will be out for the entire season, has seen Klopp earn loads of respect.
They have coped in difficult situations with two reserve defenders on separated occasions, but this will not be the case for the whole campaign. Another senior man or two is needed.
Liverpool have been offered former Watford defender Daryl Janmaat and are considering a short-term deal after receiving a “glowing reference” from international teammate Gini Wijnaldum. [@RealKevinPalmer] pic.twitter.com/ejV4cCmqGF
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) November 12, 2020
So how does Klopp overcome the Gomez setback?
Shopping in January, that is a given and a no brainer. Quite frankly we could/will see teams milking the champions of England for all the money they got for a centre-back transfer — with the knowledge they are in desperate need of healthy defenders.
At the moment, there is a big shout Liverpool could be tempted to bring in a free agent for a short-term fix. The player that has been named as a potential free-agent signing is Dutchman and ex-Watford defender, Daryl Janmaat.
This is a solution that could turn out to be better than most of us think. But I do believe Klopp will go with his current squad until the January window opens. He will be hoping the duo of Fabinho and Thiago stays fit until then, giving him more options for another two more months.
He will deploy the pair in big matches and throw Nathaniel Phillips or Rhys Williams in for the fixtures they know they can manage easily.
The German barely shows he lost some sleep over these type of situations and almost relishes the chance to face major setback while overcoming them with his group of players.
Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig is rated as the number one target. Inter’s Milan Škriniar has been named. Ben White, always a target — so the options have been lined up already.
The injury of Trent came with much debate
The discussion of too much football with no safety net for the players is the biggest one this term. The Premier League deemed five substitutions not good enough and allowing a limited amount of three is the best option. The whole idea of five subs and a bigger matchday squad was frowned upon.
It was claimed that the bigger teams profit from this situation essentially, yet, it is now those who fight for relegation or mid-table honours who sings a similar tune as the big boys in the League, who have only been in favour of five subs.
David Moyes is one such manager. Totally against it before the season started and then changed his tune before the last international break for 2020. This injury issue is so avoidable. One has to ask was an international friendly enough reason to lose Gomez for?
An end of an era for Liverpool Football Club. light. Related Story
One has to ask why are qualifiers and other tournaments are not played out like they ended the season off last run out.