Liverpool have suffered another defender injury on the eve of Friday’s Premier League clash against Wolves at Molineux, it has been confirmed.
Nathaniel Phillips has become the third centre-back to be sidelined ahead of the fixture, to leave Jurgen Klopp with just two available centre-halves in Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren.
Klopp has admitted that his options are limited in the key position after Joe Gomez and Joel Matip both suffered injuries earlier this month that will rule them out until mid to late January.
“Nat Phillips is injured as well which is a real shame,” said Klopp, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo. “We may have to think about other options like three at the back with two midfielders or stuff like that.
“If something else happens we would have to do something like that. We don’t really have options. But Fabinho can play at centre-half as well so that’s good.”
OPINION
Phillips would have been the Liverpool back-up centre-back at Wolves had he been fit and available for action. The 21-year-old, a free transfer signing from Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2016, is effectively the fifth-choice centre-back at Anfield behind Van Dijk, Gomez, Matip and Lovren. He will be devastated at missing his opportunity to make the matchday squad and be in a position to make his first-team bow after impressing Klopp and the coaching staff during pre-season. 6ft 4in Phillips will now have to bide his time and hope that opportunity beckons again in a position which is highly competitive at Liverpool. The defence has been transformed since the January arrival of club record signing of Van Dijk and the summer capture of Alisson. They have showed that you get what you pay for, although there is still room in Klopp’s squad for rising stars and the next generation schooled at the club’s academy.