Liverpool will have to change approach and tactics due to this
By Zubin Daver
Klopp’s selection headache at Liverpool continues with yet another injury.
This was expected to be one of Liverpool’s toughest seasons and it has lived up to the hype, albeit for the wrong reasons.
Injuries have marred the fight to retain the title. Unfortunately, this has been a problem not only for Liverpool but for most Premier League teams that are fighting on multiple fronts. This has happened because of the exhaustion and fatigue caused by the gruelling fixture list.
At some point of time, Liverpool have played without the likes of Alisson Becker, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane, Thiago Alcantara, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Kostas Tsimikas, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Matip and now added to that list is Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It is important to note that despite of these players missing out, Liverpool are fighting right at the top of the table unlike most of their traditional rivals.
Trent seems to have injured his calf muscle. The prodigal right-back pulled up after making a pass during the clash with Manchester City that ended 1-1. He slumped to the floor at the Etihad around the hour mark and immediately knew his game was over and that he would be the next player limping towards the treatment room.
The one saving grace is that there is an international break for two weeks which could help him gather some much-needed rest. Trent has been the mainstay for Klopp and has played almost every game so far for Liverpool.
If you roll the clock back in time, Trent Alexander-Arnold missed three games at the beginning of 2019 which saw Liverpool draw two of those games against Leicester City and West Ham United. In retrospect, those results cost them the title.
The only silver lining is that the fringe players have stepped up and taken their chances with open arms. Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips have deputised well in the absence of the senior center-halves. Now, with Trent out, Neco Williams will get his chance to shine. Vice-Captain James Milner might also rotate with Williams in the right-back position.
However, we could see Klopp continue his experimentation with formations. Fact and stats prove that losing Trent for a long time will affect Liverpool more than any other defender. This is because Klopp’s tactical approach sees most creativity coming from the right flank. Let’s not forget that Trent lines-up for most set pieces and corners as well.
This season we have seen Klopp use two formations, his preferred 4-3-3 and a tactical switch to 4-2-3-1 to accommodate all four attacking players. Now with Alexander-Arnold out, can we see him shift to three at the back? Highly unlikely, but not impossible.
Who would you play instead of Trent?