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Liverpool have taken a crushing blow with the injury of Virgil van Dijk and Jurgen Klopp will hope that others can intervene as his team aims to defend their Premier League title.
The Dutchman suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage as a result of a challenge from Jordan Pickford in the weekend’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Liverpool’s key man will be operated on and there is no deadline for his return at this stage.
With van Dijk out of the game for the foreseeable, others will need to bring his game and one man who could see himself with a shot is Preston-born Rhys Williams.
Joe Gomez and Joel Matip will likely be the first-choice pair, while Fabinho is also capable of placing himself in the middle.
Williams, who is a fan of the Preston North End, has already received minutes from Klopp’s first team this season at the Carabao Cup.
He lined up alongside van Dijk against Arsenal at Anfield, and out at Lincoln in Liverpool’s 7-2 win.
At 6-foot-3, the 19-year-old looks perfect and boasts many impressive qualities that coaches look for in today’s center-backs.
Klopp has already praised him this season, saying he was “exceptional” against Lincoln and that he “will be a leader.”
He joined the academy at age 10 and spent the 2018/19 campaign on loan to the Kidderminster Harriers of the National League North, in order to experience men’s soccer and get him out of the academy comfort zone.
And after teaming up with van Dijk, the youngster’s season got even better when he was called up to England’s Under-21 team for Euro Cup qualifiers against Turkey and Andorra.
Williams is on the right track and can guarantee that he will be ready to seize the opportunity in the Premier League should it arise.
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