Youth the answer to Klopp’s injury crisis

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Liverpool’s injury woes have taken yet another turn for the worse as Jurgen Klopp has ruled out both Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez from their clash against Luton.  The German is also unsure of whether they will be ready for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea with both players being monitored daily.

This now takes the Reds injury list to 12 players, the majority being important first team starters.  Alisson (Hamstring) has been ruled out until April, Diogo Jota (Knee) has been ruled out for months while Joel Matip (ACL) and Thiago Alcantara (Muscular) have both played their last games of the season.

Stefan Bajcetic (Adductor) has not played all season and is unlikely to feature again, Ben Doak (Knee) is also out until May, Trent Alexander-Arnold (Knee) is still sidelined for a few weeks, Curtis Jones (Ankle ligament) will miss a few weeks, Kostas Tsimikas (shoulder) is still not fully fit after his surgery and Dominik Szoboszlai (Hamstring) is closest to fitness with a possible bench appearance for the final.

All is not doom and gloom on Merseyside however with some bright sparks coming out of an injury-riddled campaign for the Reds.  In Joel Matip’s absence we have seen the emergence of Jarell Quansah in central defence while Trent’s injury has allowed Connor Bradley to make the right-fullback spot his own.

Both Bradley and Quansah are now both genuine contenders for the Reds starting eleven every week.  Teenagers Bobby Clark, Kaide Gordon and James McConnell have all made first team appearances this season in both cup competitions and the UEFA Europa League.

Looking at Liverpool’s academy there are some potential answers to this injury crisis.  Calum Scanlon (defender),  Trey Nyoni (midfielder), Lewis Koumas(forward) and Trent Kone-Doherty(forward) are all having remarkable seasons for the u18s and u23s.

Liverpool find themselves in a tough situation but all teams struggle with injuries, it is how Jurgen Klopp can use the resources at his disposal to address these concerns that will define the Reds campaign.  Fighting on four fronts is never easy but if Klopp continues to trust the talented youth coming through, it should make a difficult situation more manageable.

 

Photo: Twitter @_LFC_World_

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Dylan Johnson