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It seems to have been the case of late that Liverpool have been hit by an incessant amount of injuries. It was almost the norm that every time there was a game, a player inevitably hit the deck and had no choice but to be eliminated and face a period away from the team.
This may still be the case on defense, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas on the sidelines. There are also players in other parts of the field who cannot play, but in terms of midfield, the situation seems to be improving a bit.
Jürgen Klopp has often been forced to go with Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones in the middle of the park, most of the time out of necessity. Fabinho has been forced into the back four as an improvised center-back, and the rest of the midfielders have had bouts of injury.
We haven’t seen Thiago Alcântara since the Merseyside derby in October, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain only made his first appearance of the season last weekend. Then there is Naby Keïta, whose physical condition has been inconsistent, and James Milner, who has also been away for a few weeks.
But the signs indicate that the situation is improving. Thiago and Milner have returned to training, and Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keïta have been back in top form in recent days.
While Klopp may not have all the options available yet, it won’t be long before they are. So you can also keep in mind that Xherdan Shaqiri and Takumi Minamino are capable of playing in the midfield. Although it is not his preferred position, it is still an option for Klopp.
When you look at the midfield options on the team, it really is delicious. When all the players are fit, there are seven renowned midfielders from whom Klopp can choose to fit into three starting spots: Henderson, Wijnaldum, Thiago, Jones, Keïta, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner.
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We may be just a couple of weeks away from all of these players getting back in shape and available for selection. It really is a position that all clubs in Europe should envy, in fact they probably do, and it is one of the many reasons why this Liverpool team is one of the strongest.
What also makes Liverpool’s midfield options so strong are the differences they all have in terms of playing style. No two players have the same style, which is what makes them so difficult to face.
You have Henderson who is the leader and helps support the four behind as well as launch attacks from deep. Wijnaldum is a box-to-box player who is capable of scoring a goal from time to time, while Thiago is the driver and can see passes that no one else on the field can see.
Then look at Jones, who has grown into a stylish midfielder who can do just about anything he wants on and off the ball, while Milner is the versatile option who will do whatever it takes to help the team. Keïta is very good at recovering the ball and retaining possession, and Oxlade-Chamberlain is arguably the best scorer in midfield.
And this is before reaching Fabinho, who seems to have forgotten that he is actually a midfielder. When all of this is taken into account, the options Klopp has to choose from are staggering.
When each and every player is back in shape, Liverpool can be said to have the strongest team in Europe. And when you take a closer look at the midfield, there is no doubt that as a group they are the best in the area.
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