Liverpool journalist Paul Gorst has been sharing his thoughts on the Merseyside club’s current defensive options after it was recently revealed that Virgil van Dijk will need to have surgery after sustaining an injury during the Reds’ 2-2 draw against Everton.
This comes after Gorst recently made an appearance on the latest episode of the Liverpool Echo’s Blood Red Podcast where he discussed the injury to Van Dijk.
During the episode, Gorst had this to say on the pressure Liverpool’s defence will be under now that Van Dijk will be out of action.
He said: “No question [Liverpool’s defence will be under pressure]. At a time when Joe Gomez is facing question marks over his form which possibly have been overblown a little bit but I can see where the concerns are coming from.
“Joel Matip has never really proven himself to be a durable centre-back so it’s a massive issue for Liverpool.
“It’s a huge worry and it’s something that could define whether the Premier League title stays at Anfield or not, I really do feel it is that important.”
Van Dijk was one of Liverpool’s standout performers last season earning himself a season rating of 7.32/10 for his performances in the 38 Premier League games he played in throughout the Reds’ 2019/20 campaign (per WhoScored).
The Dutchman was forced off the field in the early stages of the match against Carlo Ancelotti’s side at Goodison Park after Everton shot-stopper Jordan Pickford struck Van Dijk with a hard tackle.
Now that it has been revealed that Van Dijk will have to undergo surgery on his knee and then follow a rehabilitation programme to get back to full fitness, it’s safe to say that the defender is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Do you think Liverpool have enough defensive squad depth to cover Van Dijk?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Paul Gorst’s comments on Liverpool’s defence without Van Dijk…
While it is a shame that Van Dijk is looking to be out of action for a while, Liverpool do have Sepp van den Berg as well as Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in their squad that play in the centre-back position.
Also, Fabinho can play in that position if needed so Liverpool do have some cover to make up for Van Dijk’s absence.