Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on defender Joe Gomez after his recent performance for his side.

Gomez in the limelight

The German tactician has had to endure the painful task of adjusting to life without talisman Virgil van Dijk after he was ruled out for a significant amount of time with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

On top of this, Joel Matip continues to struggle with his fitness and Fabinho injured his hamstring during their Champions League win over FC Midtjylland, leaving just Gomez as the only established centre back available for selection.

Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips have both featured in their victories against Atalanta and West Ham United, both playing alongside Gomez who Klopp previously described as a "sensational footballer" (via the club's official website).

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (cited by Neil Jones), Klopp added to his praise by highlighting how well the young Englishman has taken on his new responsibilities in the team.

"He had so many different defensive partners," he said. "And he was always the kid in the line-up. But in life, everyone has to grow. He's used the last few weeks - he was thrown in cold water - and did really well."

Transfer Tavern take

Liverpool have not conceded a goal in the Champions League in Van Dijk's absence, and have only let in two goals in their domestic campaign (Fotmob).

This is an impressive statistic. Van Dijk has been labelled as the best defender in the world and even Jamie Carragher believed that the Merseysiders would struggle to defender their title without the Dutch powerhouse (via Football365).

Klopp has worked wonders with Gomez. Alongside Van Dijk over the past couple of seasons, he has matured into a reliable and competent asset that can be called upon.

In other news, Liverpool fans left stunned by official announcement.