[ad_1]
James Milner, who succumbed to a hamstring injury during Liverpool’s draw at Brighton, means Jurgen Klopp is now without eight first-team stars worth a total of £ 330 million.
The Reds’ injury problems on defense are well documented and they currently lack three of their four first-choice running backs.
Center-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez face many months on the sidelines with knee injuries, while right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold hopes to return in December.
But a new wave of injuries has left the Premier League champions threadbare in midfield as the hectic holiday schedule looms.
Milner follows Naby Keita into the treatment room just a week after the latter suffered a hamstring injury in a 3-0 win over Leicester.
(Image: PA)
Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is long absent with a knee injury and Thiago Alcantara, who arrived at Anfield amid much fanfare last summer, has not appeared since he was ruled out after the Merseyside derby of the month. past.
And the depth of Liverpool’s roster was further reduced when versatile playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri suffered a muscle injury on international serve for Switzerland.
The eight players not available to Klopp include some of Liverpool’s top-rated stars, with Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk valued at £ 99 million and £ 72 million respectively, according to player value experts. Transfermarkt .
(Image: POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
It’s been a hectic season so far, so make sure you don’t miss a thing by signing up for the shiny new Mirror Football newsletter!
All the latest transfer news and great stories will be delivered straight to your inbox. You will not miss it.
To register, put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions at this link.
But it’s central midfield that is starting to become a major problem area for Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds manager has £ 100m worth of talent at this position, while the usual defensive midfielder Fabinho has been forced into the center-back spot.
The Brazilian has impressed in his substitute role alongside Joel Matip and Nat Phillips, but has come at the price of leaving Liverpool with just three available midfielders.
Captain Jordan Henderson came back on the bench for the tie at Brighton, while Gini Wijnaldum is a mainstay and teenager Curtis Jones already has double digits for appearances this season.
(Image: Getty Images)
Do Liverpool have a team deep enough to win the Premier League this season despite their injury problems? Give us your opinion here.
Liverpool’s problems in midfield forced Klopp to switch from his usual 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1 for the trip to Amex, allowing him to field four forwards even with Sadio Mane in the bank.
Attack is the area where Liverpool are not plagued with injuries and we are likely to see more four-man front lines in the coming games.
The Reds have so far overcome their injury crisis to place themselves in a strong position in Group D of the Champions League and temporarily atop the Premier League ahead of Chelsea and Tottenham’s clash on Sunday.
But the tired legs that showed in the tepid 2-0 loss at home to Atalanta and the draw at Brighton are cause for concern for Klopp.
The German has been a staunch opponent of a schedule that he believes is overloading players and couldn’t help venting his anger on BT Sport’s Des Kelly after witnessing the Reds’ latest injury.
Milner has built a reputation as a consistent player in whatever position he is asked to play and his absence will be painfully felt as Klopp tries to plug Liverpool’s gaps in defense and midfield.
Next up for the Reds are two home games, Ajax on Tuesday and Wolves next Sunday, with four full days without a game between them.
The brief respite gives Klopp a chance to plan how best to try to negotiate the December games without losing even more players to injuries.
Sign up for the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.
[ad_2]
