Liverpool: How do the Reds keep a clean sheet at Salzburg without Fabinho?
By David Gate
Liverpool travel to Austria this week to face Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League. How do the Reds keep the clean sheet they need with Fabinho injured?
Liverpool need a draw or a win against Red Bull Salzburg in the final Champions League group stage match tomorrow night. A clean sheet will guarantee the Reds progress to the knockout stage but how will they achieve that with Fabinho out injured?
The Brazilian has become the centerpiece of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield at Liverpool. After being eased into the team last season – remember, at this point last year he wasn’t a regular – he has become the key man in the middle of the park.
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His technical qualities and creative contributions should not be underestimated, however it is his ability to marshal the space in front of the defense that has transformed the midfield unit.
The ankle ligament injury he picked up against Napoli in Liverpool’s last Champions League match has not affected the team’s title charge in the Premier League; they have won all three game since.
But Salzburg are dangerous attacking side. They proved that by knocking in three second-half goals at Anfield last month and come into this game off a 5-1 victory in the Austrian league.
Without Fabinho anchoring the midfield many expect the manager compensate by adding James Milner to Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum in midfield. However that is not a combo that has worked very often – the whole unit is too flat and gives the opposition too much room between midfield and attack.
One option Klopp has is to use Joe Gomez – a more pacy and mobile center back than Dejan Lovren to compensate for some of the athleticism lost with Fabinho out.
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That would allow Naby Keita or, more likely, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to play and create a more tiered and balanced midfield.