"The big one" - Sky man claims Liverpool are really missing £200k-a-week player - it's "difficult" without him

Sky Sports pundit Paul Dickov has picked out the one player that Liverpool are missing most this season due to injury.

Jurgen Klopp's side have had more than their fair share of injury troubles in recent years.

In 2020/21 - the year after they won the Premier League - the Reds spent much of the season without three of their centre-backs, with Joel Matip and Joe Gomez missing the second half of the season. Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in September and did not play again that campaign.

Despite this, Liverpool recovered to finish third that season, thanks to winning eight of their final 10 games.

In the current campaign, the Reds' injury list mainly covers the midfield area - but Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota also represent major absences on the left side of attack.

It has been more difficult for Klopp's side to put a run of form together, and they currently sit eighth in the Premier League table ahead of this weekend's home fixture against Leeds.

They are 12 points behind leaders Arsenal, and five points behind Newcastle, who currently occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.

Liverpool have been without Naby Keita for the entire season through injury, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain recently returned and played his first game of the season against Nottingham Forest.

Thiago and Curtis Jones have both missed a lot of game time due to injury. And Jordan Henderson limped off during the Reds' 3-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday.

With all those absences at different parts of the season in mind, Dickov has named the player he believes Liverpool have missed the most in the centre of the park.

Paul Dickov: Liverpool miss Thiago

Speaking to Sky Sports, former Manchester City and Blackburn striker Dickov explained why he believes the Reds are not the same team without Thiago.

He explained: "When you've got that amount of players out, there's no consistency in selection. There's no consistency in performances week to week.

"I've named many a player there, but Thiago is the big one for me. He's the one that really makes them tick. He's the creative one in midfield, and he's had a stop-start start to the season as well.

"So, you put all that together [injuries] and it's really difficult for them. But there's no doubting there's something special about the Champions League and Liverpool. They always seem to turn up and put in the performances that they need."

Thiago has missed seven games this season - including Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday and the win over Ajax. It is not clear what his current problem is, or when he will return.