Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez will likely lose his place in the team now that Joel Matip is back fit after a groin problem, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Woeful night for Gomez

The Reds were abysmal on Wednesday night, losing 4-1 away to Napoli in their first Champions League group game and continuing their worrying start to the season in all competitions.

Gomez was one of Liverpool's worst players on the night, making two big mistakes for goals and also being partly culpable for the penalty that Alisson saved. His 6.1 Sofascore rating was worse than all of his team-mates except James Milner, who has also been much-maligned of late.

The 25-year-old has done well in recent weeks until that point, ranking sixth in Jurgen Klopp's squad according to WhoScored metrics, but it could be a performance which sees him lose his place in the team after four successive league starts.

The Latest: Robinson fears for Gomez

That's certainly the opinion of Sky Sports pundit Robinson, who told Football Insider that he thinks the returning Matip will now replace Gomez in Klopp's starting XI.

The former Leeds goalkeeper said:

"Gomez was really poor against Napoli. It is a huge season for him this year. I questioned why he signed the new contract given that he did not play so many games last season.

"He has been given an opportunity because of injuries and he has not taken it. He is a quality player and alongside [Virgil] van Dijk I thought he would thrive. I thought they’d reignite their partnership. I even thought Gomez might be able to sneak into the World Cup squad.

"But with Matip back fit he would struggle to get back into the side. He has not taken his opportunity. I think Klopp will want the stability of Matip and Van Dijk at the back."

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The Verdict: Wouldn't be surprised

It makes complete sense to take Gomez out of the firing line after such a bad display, with Matip perhaps being better able to firm up the Reds' shaky defence in recent weeks.

This isn't to say that the Englishman won't play for Liverpool again but he could well be the fourth-choice centre-back once Ibrahima Konate returns from injury. That would be a restoration of the pecking order from last season, going by minutes played in 2021/22.

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Sadly, the Napoli game highlighted how Gomez is prone to horrendous off-nights, with his concentration levels poor and numerous long-term injuries appearing to have taken their toll.