Jordan Henderson could be Liverpool’s injury savior and take on a surprising new role

Since then, the club has confirmed that it faces up to four weeks on the sidelines, but the international break softens that news a bit. Despite this, the 22-year-old will miss at least four games, possibly more if the club is more cautious.

Jürgen Klopp will examine his team for a possible replacement for Alexander-Arnold while he recovers. There are a myriad of options, but which one should the manager choose?

Here, our writers look at the options available to Klopp and who would be best suited to replace Alexander-Arnold in the short term.

Mark Wakefield

Alexander-Arnold appears to be the only player in all of Liverpool who does not have a direct replacement from the first team. Yes, Neco Williams has replaced when needed, but he doesn’t seem ready to become a reliable backup yet.

There are probably two or three options at Liverpool’s disposal, but whichever he chooses, he will lose at least one of the advantages of having someone like Trent on the right back, but that just goes to show why he’s the best in the world at his position in this moment. .

I wouldn’t be against seeing Fabinho go there if he’s fit after his injury, but he looks so good as he is central that it would be a tough decision. Then there’s Joe Gomez, who has often joined in the middle of the game or when Alexander-Arnold was injured in the past. And let’s not forget James Milner, who is reliable on defense but lacks the ability to provide the required offensive influence.

So I’d probably go with Gomez. Yes, you lose the power and precision of the centers that come from the right flank, but what you win is someone with rhythm and defensively healthy. This would likely mean that Matip is associated with Joël Matip at the heart of the defense, although Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams have reason to consider.

Whatever Klopp decides to do, you have to balance it out with the congested match roster. It is unlikely that a player will enter a role in every game that Alexander-Arnold is out, surely there will be some rotation involved. But as a first option, I would go with Gomez.

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Dan Morgan |

My answer to everything is fast becoming Jordan Henderson. Think about it, who can offer the same long-range pass? Who can offer the same defensive strength? Who can still go up and down the field to such an extent? The captain marks all the boxes.

Obviously there is what you lose in midfield, but if Liverpool can get Thiago Alcântara and Naby Keïta back in top form this break while maintaining their 4-2-3-1 form, then there is no reason why the one Henderson can’t fit in there.

In truth, you will only lose Alexander-Arnold for four games if Liverpool are being more cautious (Leicester, Brighton, Atalanta and Ajax). So it only looks at Leicester in the “must win” category of the four. So maybe it’s important to ask yourself who you don’t want to be there for that game.

Neco Williams’ faith and confidence have waned in recent months. Milner is slowing down on and off the ball with every passing game in a way that weakens the winger and there is no certainty that Fabinho is fit. Don’t even think about moving Gomez.

So for me, I will play Henderson there. He will not be short of intensity, he can still shepherd and command others and he can create from the deep, ensuring Liverpool keep the game changer towards Andy Robertson and everything else Trent usually brings. After that, I think you can play whoever you want in position for the next three and we’ll be fine.

Oliver Connolly

I’d be worried about handing the job over to Neco Williams. Klopp’s team selections and squad management have more than implied that Williams may not be up to par; his performances last year were ups and downs; a couple of flashes of were overcome by their struggles on and off the ball.

Moving Fabinho to the right is a decent shout. He has lined up as a right-back before in his Monaco days, and even when he was slated as the team’s central midfielder, he typically slipped back to right-back in the 4-4-2 / ​​2-4 transformation of Leonardo Jardim. 4 structure. Fabinho understands the terrain, he has a good enough passing range to protect some of Klopp’s carefully crafted and preset attack designs.

But I would prefer to keep Fabinho central. Matip was brilliant against Manchester City, but given his injury history, his form will always be unreliable. At any moment, he could leave the team for two, three, eight weeks. Fabinho is a firmer choice. With Virgil van Dijk out of season, it’s important for Klopp to settle on a pair of two that he can trust. It should be Fabinho and Gómez.

Which leaves us with Milner. That is cause for concern. Milner is a willing defender, but his enthusiasm can often detract from the sides – he’s happy to jump from behind, fracturing the defensive line. Run and fight and scream. That’s very good. But his positional discipline wanes when he’s pushed to one of two fullback spots. And that’s before it reaches its distribution. Milner is in his prime helping the midfield trio through the gears. One of your best unique qualities is demanding that one side pick up the pace. Shoot the ball at the feet of a player. Pick it up. Now! And then he will demand that it be returned to him.

Milner has never been an excellent ball changer. It is better in closed confines. But given your willingness to accept what the team needs, you better believe that you will try to replicate aspects of Alexander-Arnold’s construction game, and I’m not sure it’s the best; it would be better to reorient things completely.

It is a difficult choice. Ultimately, he would let Milner take over and try to take advantage of the Fabinho-Gómez association as a central defender.