Liverpool would possibly watch the Chelsea central stage with some jealousy after Virgil van Dijk broke his anterior cruciate ligament in the Merseyside derby against Everton this weekend. Window.
But now Jurgen Klopp is kept naked after watching Jordan Pickford hack Van Dijk this weekend.
Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are now Liverpool’s only recognized senior central defenders, Fabinho is expected to update as he did against Chelsea last month.
This is far from ideal, Fabinho’s position is right in front of the defense.
Van Dijk, Liverpool’s first midfielder to start all 38 games in consecutive seasons last year, as he has been provided by Klopp since signing in 2018.
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His influence on the lag has been clear, especially with Gomez and Matip suffering injury problems over the years.
But Van Dijk’s injury at the end of the season comes as a blow to Liverpool’s hopes of protecting his title.
It also highlights a rare movement error through Liverpool manager Michael Edwards as the club decided to upgrade to Lovren.
The Croatian foreigner made it clear at the end of last season that he was looking to leave to win normal football in the first team and Liverpool fulfilled his wish when he was picked up by Zenit St. Petersburg.
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Chelsea were in a similar position this summer, albeit later in the window, when it became clear that Antonio Rudiger was not in Frank Lampard’s plans.
Reports advised German foreigners to seek a way out of Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea were not in a position to sell.
This despite Rudiger’s downfall to become the fifth choice for Chelsea, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori.
The latter was also about to leave Chelsea on loan, but turned down a step to West Ham to fight for his place on the team.
Lampard may have difficulty keeping all of his central defense features happy, however, Van Dijk’s injury this weekend is evidence that things can temporarily replace at any football club.
Liverpool is now in a position where Klopp has limited features on a crowded list, while Lampard has peace of mind to rest players when needed.
In a short season without a winter break, you can make a difference for Chelsea at the end of the campaign.
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