Liverpool put in an emphatic 4-0 win over Red Star Belgrade but the victory could spell bad news for Reds captain Jordan Henderson.
Everyone is happy after a big European win, right? I’m sure everyone connected with the club enjoyed waking up this morning and seeing the Reds top of their Champions League group and level on points at the top of the Premier League table.
However one player may have had a few concerns running through his mind over the last 24 hours. Jordan Henderson will be delighted with the win but there are a couple of reasons for him to consider what his future at Anfield is going to look like.
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The talk of the Kop yesterday was the performance of Fabinho in midfield. After waiting almost five months to see him start a meaningful game we finally got to see the £40 million Brazilian in action.
It was well worth the wait. It appears as if Jurgen Klopp has judged a new player’s inclusion perfectly once again. He was dominant in the midfield and looked every bit the defensive anchor that Liverpool have been missing.
That role has been occupied by Gini Wijnaldum – who excelled further forward yesterday and Henderson. Neither are naturals to the position but have been capable options without a specialist on the roster.
Wijnaldum and James Milner have had very good starts to the season and have seen more of the field than the captain has this term. A hamstring injury kept Henderson out yesterday and now the door is firmly open for Fabinho to take more of the available midfield minutes.
Many feel that Henderson’s role as captain will shield him a little from being sidelined but last night was not good news on that front either.
Virgil van Dijk was named captain from the start for the first time – something many have been calling for since his arrival. Klopp has previously defaulted to the longest-serving player in the absence of Henderson and Milner. That would have been Roberto Firmino yesterday but the manager went with the Dutchman instead.
I don’t expect Jordan Henderson to be cast aside quite yet but there was plenty of evidence last night to suggest he should have some concerns over his role in the future will be as significant as the past.