The one player Liverpool need to survive their injury woes
Liverpool have a string of injuries but there is one player they cannot afford to lose over the next few months.
The most recent international break has indeed proven costly, as Liverpool have had a rash of injuries.
Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil Van Dijk all have come down with injuries in the past two weeks. While Salah and Van Dijk have fully returned to training, Keita and Mane have not returned yet, placing them at risk for Saturday’s match against Huddersfield.
Also, James Milner who left Liverpool’s last match with an apparent hamstring injury, has fully returned to training after an originally feared 6 week absence.
Keita could miss the next two matches and Mane may return against Huddersfield after having his broken thumb surgically repaired, but it is not certain at this point.
All of these injuries have lead to an obvious vacancy in terms of production. One thing is very evident, at least one player must step up and fill void in the lineup and in terms of production as well.
One potential candidate is Adam Lallana, who has barely had an appearance for Liverpool this term, held to a mere 3 minutes against Crystal Palace. The 30 year-old can provide a presence in his return, but there is another candidate, whose presence can be more impactful.
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One of the potentially most dynamic players on Liverpool’s squad, Xherdan Shaqiri, can also fill in admirably during this time. Either taking on the role of Mane as a winger or even playing in the midfield, adding a much-needed creative element.
Shaqiri has been held to only one start, against Southampton, during which he was subbed off at the halfway point for James Milner. He has totaled four appearances, 3 being subs, in the Premier League as well as a start during the Carabao Cup match against Chelsea and a sub against Paris Saint-Germain, in the Champions League.
Taking a deeper look at Shaqiri’s production as a winger in the Premier League is more impressive than one would probably guess it to be.
His goals per match production is 0.17, with 15 goals in 88 appearances, and 16 assists. Meanwhile, a consensus superior footballer, Sadio Mane has accrued a 0.37 goals per match, 48 goals in 131 appearances, and 21 assists.
Shaqiri cannot fully replace Mane, yet he can be serviceable, if not dynamic in that role, helping fill the void during the starter’s absence. In a brief stint versus Southampton, Shaqiri registered two assists, nearly scoring a goal off of a free kick.
Shaqiri is vital because he is versatile and has the potential to play on the wing or in a more central position. Even once the squad becomes healthy Shaqiri can contribute and possibly even start in a midfield position where he can add a degree of creativity.
The upcoming match against Huddersfield and the following one against Cardiff City should not pose a huge deal of difficulty to a world-class Liverpool club. Yet they should not be taken lightly, thus an insertion of dynamism in the form of Shaqiri may allow the lineup to fully click.
Ahead lies an opportunity to correct the past inadequacies by creating a lineup that can link the front end with the back-end, creating a more fluid attack.
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Regardless of the position that Shaqiri would be filling in, he can prove to be a productive contributor for his club and assist them through this current rough patch.