Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - September 13, 2022, Liverpool's Joel Matip celebrates scoring their second goal with Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool will be without centre-back Joel Matip for the Reds’ Premier League clash against West Ham later this evening.
The Lowdown: Injury woes
With the likes of Arthur Melo and Luis Diaz already confirmed out with long-term injuries, Jurgen Klopp would have been hoping for a clean run to see him through to the World Cup next month.
However, in the dying embers of the side’s 1-0 win over Manchester City, Diogo Jota went down with an injury, eventually leaving the field on a stretcher.
With Jota now ruled out until after the World Cup, the Liverpool boss must be desperate for some good news, but he’s not going to get it in his centre-back department.
The Latest: Matip still out
Taking to his pre-match press conference, Klopp spoke of his side’s various injuries ahead of West Ham’s arrival at Anfield later this evening.
To his disappointment, he revealed one of his key defenders is set to miss the clash, failing to make it back in time alongside Ibrahima Konate, who is about ten days away.
As quoted by This Is Anfield, the German said:
“Joel is still a little bit away”.
The Verdict: Gomez back in
With both of Virgil van Dijk’s regular defensive partners out, it appears Joe Gomez will slot back in next to the Dutchman, as he did so excellently against Man City at the weekend.
Gomez made six clearances and three tackles, as Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville crowned the 25-year-old the Man of the Match for his ‘outstanding’ display.
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Whilst the Reds will be able to rely on the Englishman, Matip’s aerial ability and runs from deep will always be missed.
Having been hailed as a ‘huge presence’ by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher for his emphatic performance against Ajax in the Champions League, Klopp will be hoping the 31-year-old will be back to fitness in the coming days, giving him the option to play Gomez at right-back when needed.
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