Liverpool’s inability to keep the first XI is fit is mighty frustrating.
We’re already without Sadio Mane for the season, Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana, and it now appears our backline has decided to join them on the treatment table – all at the same time.
Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren kept a clean-sheet against West Brom last time out, but as he has been all too often this campaign, the Cameroonian is likely unavailable having picked up a knock in training.
To make matters worse, so did his two understudies for centre-back: Lucas and Ragnar Klavan – meaning Jurgen Klopp has little choice but to select Joe Gomez at the back for the crunch tie against Crystal Palace’s powerhouse forward Christian Benteke.
“Not 100% that Matip/Lucas/Klavan will be out but they are not training in this moment,” Klopp told a packed press-conference today, cited in the Echo.
“We have to find a solution for the weekend. It’s not too cool. Joe Gomez played again for u23s this week. Maybe we will try him.”
Gomez hasn’t started a Premier League fixture under Klopp yet and this weekend’s clash could be a real baptism of fire.
He’s mighty talented and we hope the young Englishman is up for it – as this is an absolute must-win game for Liverpool.
In fairness, many fans would prefer Gomez to play over Klavan anyway, so if the youngster performs, this mini-crisis could be some kind of blessing in disguise if it shows us the former Charlton player is 100% an option going forward.