Emre Can was our best midfielder last season, but has yet to start a Premier League match this term.
He came off the bench against Arsenal but wasn’t used at all away to Burnley, despite being named as a substitute.
According to Jurgen Klopp, the German battler was carrying a back problem – so wasn’t selectable.
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“Emre Can was on the bench, he had a back problem, Lucas Leiva is injured and you ask me for a hard midfield player?” he told reporters from the Guardian when they asked if he’d buy a defensive midfielder.
We lacked steel in midfield at Turf Moor, and lost 50/50s that we’d hope Can would have fared better in.
It’ll be interesting to see now if the 22-year-old is deployed away to Burton Albion in the League Cup on Tuesday, or if we keep him rested for the trip to White Hart Lane next weekend.
What’s clear is that our midfield badly missed his physicality and bite, with Jordan Henderson struggling in a defensive role at Burnley.
Can has the potential to be one of the top anchoring players in the country, but we need him fit and back in the side.