Thiago Alcantara looks set for another period on the sidelines following reports that the Spaniard is set to undergo surgery once more.
In stats compiled by Andrew Beasley on Twitter, it means that the former Bayern Munich maestro joins the likes of Liverpool’s Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in possessing a rather poor rate of appearances ‘per game missed’.
Gini Wijnaldum made 33.9 appearances for every game he missed through injury at Liverpool.
Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Thiago are all in the 1.4 to 1.7 appearances per game missed range. Quite the difference. https://t.co/xRsfNSZljW
— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) May 2, 2023
In comparison to former Anfield favourite Gini Wijnaldum, there’s a STARK difference in availability, with the Dutchman having garnered a reputation for being nigh on indestructible during his Merseyside years.
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With the duo of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in the latter stages of their Liverpool careers, there’s a clear need for us to prioritise durable as well as long-term signings.
Who could Liverpool sign to boost the durability of the midfield?
We’ve already looked Alexis Mac Allister in some detail – the man who compares favourably to our ex-No.5 – who possessed a league availability percentage of 96.52% (we’d imagine this will have improved of late) at the last time of checking.
Possessing plenty of quality beyond that point makes the Brighton star something of a transfer no-brainer should he be keen on a switch to Anfield this summer.
Ultimately, for a club with clear designs on competing for every available piece of silverware, season after season, it’s critical we have a midfield engine capable of withstanding the hefty demands of an average campaign under Jurgen Klopp.