Joel Matip will miss the match against Manchester United

Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Joel Matip will miss Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United on 17 January. The Cameroonian defender will be out for three weeks, according to The Times.

Liverpool confirmed that Matip underwent a scan following a groin problem suffered against West Brom on Sunday.

Matip, who was hailed as ‘world class’ by Jurgen Klopp, will miss up to four games with Liverpool. These include major games against Southampton, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Burnley.

Liverpool were confident that Matip would stay fit as he was the club’s only recognized and senior choice as a central defender.

With Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk in the long run, Matip had sought to start alongside Fabinho at every opportunity presented to Liverpool.

However, the expectation is that Klopp will have to rotate between Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams to alleviate the latter injury.

Both Phillips and Williams have progressed admirably thus far, but they have no experience. With a host of games coming up, opposition teams can target the young duo as they seek to exploit any weaknesses in Liverpool’s game plan.

What does RTK have to say

It seems that Liverpool will not sign a defender in January. That’s what The ECHO reports.

And what Liverpool have are three injured center-backs, a defensive midfielder who can play at the rear and two untested players.

It seems like a cause for concern, but Liverpool are the best in the league, after all.

The bigger question is how Klopp uses the two inexperienced defenders. And from the looks of it, Phillips and Williams have contrasting roles.

This, then, will be demonstrated in the coming weeks. Phillips is there to keep aerial threats at bay. On the other hand, Williams will be used against teams more based on possession, like Southampton.

The Reds may not have their star defenders on hand, but the wise use of their substitutes could be vital. Liverpool can still prosper without Matip in the coming weeks.

Josh is a sportswriter from the South who has previously reported on the Reds both at home and off the press box. His idol is Joel Matip, while Madrid 19 to this day remains a blur to him.