Virgil van Dijk could kill Roberto Firmino’s season

Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk could kill Roberto Firmino.

The injury to the centre-back has rocked Anfield but there could be wider ramifications.

Fabinho was picked to play alongside Joe Gomez against Ajax and did really well, but the issue of Virgil van Dijk runs deeper than that.

Roberto Firmino could be at risk of losing his starting role because of the way Jurgen Klopp will have to change things around to cope with the loss of the Dutchman.

Klopp has said that van Dijk allows Liverpool to play with their nose-bleed high line. His pace, positional awareness and ability to win 1vs1 duals means the Reds can push on and not be too concerned with the acres of space in behind the back four.

You can’t bank on Gomez or Joel Matip to carry out the same role, while trusting Fabinho to become the new van Dijk would be complete madness.

Klopp may have to change the way the team is structured and that could be bad news for Firmino. He plays every game but the German won’t continue to pick him out of stubborn tradition, and he can’t afford to.

With Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino in the squad, there are high-quality back-up options and need to know that they’ll get a chance if they play well in training and one of the regulars goes through a period of bad form.

Additionally, the requirement for a high line and intense pressing in the opposition final third may be removed by the absence of van Dijk. Liverpool may be forced to sit back a little bit and play a more passive brand of football, which would negate the need for Bobby’s relentlessness a little bit.

If that energy and tenacious pressing isn’t as important, it’ll mean that finishing ability becomes more important.

Firmino has been lacking that side of his game for nearly two seasons now, which might mean Jota or Minamino become more important to Liverpool if they’re played within this different structure.

While Jota can press like an animal, his increased finishing ability will become more important and that can cost Firmino is place in the side.

All because of that van Dijk injury.