Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool's injury woes have 'changed everything'
Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool’s injury crisis has ‘changed everything’ this season, but boss will NOT ask his star full backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to fill in at centre half
- Liverpool have been affected by several key and long-term injuries this season
- Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are among those currently sidelined
- Jurgen Klopp has admitted considering moving either of his full backs to fill in
- The Reds boss explained shifting them would hit the system of the whole team
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool’s injury crisis has ‘changed everything’ this season and asking Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andy Robertson to fill in at centre half would risk even more disruption.
Klopp, whose side travel to Sheffield United down in sixth place, has been forced to use 18 different partnerships at centre-back because of long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Diogo Jota and James Milner also sidelined.
Youngsters Nathan Phillips, Ozan Kabak, Rhys Williams and new Preston signing Ben Davies are fighting it out to start for the ailing champions at Bramall Lane.
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool’s injury crisis ‘changed everything’ for the champions this season
Another option would be to ask one of his famed full backs to shift across to add experience. Klopp admits he has toyed with the idea but fears it would have a detrimental effect on other parts of the team.
‘I thought about it once or twice to be honest but we didn’t do it then in the end,’ he revealed.
‘Losing your regular centre halves changes everything in your game – the build up, formation, how you set up, how you protect.
Klopp admitted he has considered tasking his two star full backs with filling in at centre half
‘You pick a team on the basis of how can you defend with the players available and we have had to change constantly.
‘The way our full backs play and perform is usually pretty stable for us. If you moved them on top of everything else, you change the structure in the middle and on the wing – a double change.
‘That is probably the reason why I didn’t do it.’
Klopp has previously taken Henderson from midfield to play at the back. Liverpool have lost their last four home league games having previously been unbeaten at Anfield for nearly four years.
Jordan Henderson has stepped in well at centre back but is now also sidelined due to an injury
Liverpool’s problems have also been accompanied by tragic events off the pitch. Klopp’s mother Elisabeth died of Covid earlier this year and last week the father of goalkeeper Alisson drowned in Brazil. Caoimhín Kelleher stands by to play if Alisson is unavailable.
About the only positive for Klopp is the form of Mo Salah who has scored 24 times in a difficult season for the club.
‘The numbers speak for themselves but Mo is not only a goalscorer, he’s developed football-wise as well,’ said Klopp. ‘He is a very important player for us. Hopefully he will be that for a very long time of course.’
Klopp explained that shifting around his back four would affect the structure of his whole team
Liverpool pipped bottom club Sheffield United 2-1 at Anfield earlier in the season. Klopp and opposite number Chris Wilder have disagreed over whether three or five substitutes should be allowed but the Liverpool manager insists the Blades are better than the league table suggests.
‘I saw with Sheffield United that they were unlucky in a lot of moments,’ he said.
‘Not using their own chances and for the opponent it was enough just to have one chance to score. It’s a similar situation to us. They are not there, not because they are completely underperforming, but because in decisive moments both teams didn’t do enough things right.
Liverpool boss Klopp also believes Sheffield United are better than their position in the table
Klopp will remind his players of the success they have had as he tries to turn around the current run.
‘As long as my team shows me that they really want to alter the situation, I am completely on their side,’ he said. ‘The rest we can change. That is not always in the time frame the outside world wants but still you can change it and that is what we try.’
Jota, who made a big impact after signing from Wolves, has returned to training and could make the bench either on Sunday or against Chelsea in midweek.
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