Has little faith in Liverpool’s ability to bring in a center-back before the deadline, suggesting instead that “we need to be lucky with injuries.”
If any team is aware of the value of depth at center-back, it is Klopp’s Liverpool. For proof of that, one simply needs to go back a few seasons in time.
But as things stand, the manager’s senior alternatives include Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Nat Phillips, and Ibrahima Konate.
Now that he has sustained a muscular injury, the latter’s participation in Newcastle is uncertain.
It raised concerns about the Reds’ depth at the position and whether or not a potential replacement will be considered before the transfer window closes.
We could do this or we could do that all the time in this room. In his news conference, Klopp bristly retorted, “Maybe one day you sit a day in my chair and you have to deal with all the other stuff as well.
“In a perfect world, we would have six, seven, or eight centers. With injuries, luck is a need.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2023: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Ibrahima Konaté play for Liverpool FC against AFC Bournemouth in the FA Premier League at Anfield. Liverpool triumphed 3-1. (Propaganda image by David Rawcliffe)
“I have no doubts about the caliber of the boys we have; we also have the incredibly brilliant player Jarell Quansah.
“We are protected right now, butit not dream land were you can be prepared for absolutely each situation.
“In this moment, we are covered but it’s not dreamland where you can be prepared for absolutely each situation.
“We had to learn that in the past as well a couple of times.
“We will try to do our absolute best to have a squad next week for us where we can react on pretty much everything. Is that possible? We will see.”
There are only seven days left for the club to make a move before the transfer window closes, and if it does not, it will be a major error given that Klopp presently only has five reliable center-back alternatives to cover three positions.
It only takes one absence to radically alter the backline’s dynamic, as we are currently witnessing with Konate’s muscle injury, and a new arrival could allay such worries.
However, the manager’s comments did not inspire much hope that a new center-back would materialize – which would be negligent on the part of the team.
