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A storm has descended on Anfield in recent months, with Jurgen Klopp having to handle an unprecedented crisis at the heart of his defense.
Their central defenders have not only suffered injuries, but they are season-ending problems that have forced the Reds to deploy midfielders, and those substitutes have been struggling as well lately.
However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and Naby Keita, Fabinho and Diogo Jota will return soon as the commercial end of the campaign approaches.
The trio are able to provide a much-needed boost to a group that seems tired, stale and somewhat out of ideas since Christmas, and will present Klopp with valuable options to mix things up.
Of the 18 Premier League matches that Fabinho has appeared in this season, only four have involved him playing in his lead role as a midfielder.
Before Ozan Kabak made his debut against Leicester, the Brazilian was injured and Ben Davies, who arrived from Preston in January, has yet to appear with the Reds.
Fabinho could technically enter the fray as a midfielder again now that Klopp has the option of using Kabak and Davies behind him, or potentially Kabak and Nat Phillips, who has been quite dependable when asked.
As for Keita, the Guinean midfielder should take care of the stalemate that has emerged, and Pep Ljinders once described what he does on the pitch saying: “Add unpredictability to our preparation.”
Keita is more inclined to charge and dribble the ball than any other teammate, and possesses natural offensive qualities that will help Liverpool’s cause in the final third as they look to open up defenses.
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However, it is Jota’s presence that fans are likely to value the most.
The Portuguese forward has been out since the end of the Champions group stage and without him, the Reds would not be the same.
Aside from Crystal Palace’s dramatic 7-0, Liverpool have been unable to catch fire with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in particular on expectations of poor performance.
Based primarily on his shooting locations in the Premier League this season, Firmino should have scored roughly 3.8 goals more than he actually has, while Mane has underperformed by 3.5 goals.
That puts the Liverpool duo behind only Kevin De Bruyne this season for players who have underperformed in front of goal, and the Belgian has scored 5.3 fewer goals than expected for Manchester City.
Before his injury, Jota proved to make a difference, and he was actually exceeding expectations in the league, meaning he found the net more times than the average player would have once performed with the same shots.
As well as providing a clinical advantage that has been lacking, the Portuguese will also offer much-needed flexibility in attack, with Klopp able to turn things around using 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1.
Overall, in addition to the inevitable psychological boost the team will receive from the reinforcements, their return should also allow the English champions to differentiate themselves and regain a degree of explosiveness that has served them so well in the past.
Liverpool will remain a wounded animal until the center of defense is repaired, but in the future at least, the Reds should also be able to pose their own dangerous threat.
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