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Liverpool Have Had 13 First-Team Players Injured Or Absent Due To COVID-19 This Season

Liverpool Have Had 13 First-Team Players Injured Or Absent Due To COVID-19 This Season

It's been a remarkable set of injuries for the Premier League champions.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

We're just a couple of months into the season and Liverpool have had 13 first-team players out through injury or COVID-19.

Defender Joe Gomez is the latest casualty for the Premier League champions after he picked up a knee injury in England training.

England have confirmed the 23-year-old has withdrawn from the squad and will now return to his club for further diagnosis, with manager Gareth Southgate saying Gomez was in "a fair bit of pain".

Image: PA
Image: PA

The Telegraph are reporting there are fears from Gomez himself that he could be out for quite some time.

It follows on from the huge blow to Reds' defender Virgil van Dijk, who may well not feature for the Premier League champions again this season after undergoing knee surgery as a result of a wild challenge from Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby.

Image: PA
Image: PA

Thiago Alcantara has still not returned to action following Richarlison's red card tackle in the latter stages of that game at Goodison, while versatile Brazilian Fabinho has recently been on the sidelines after deputising in central defence.

Gomez has been paired with academy products Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams due to the mounting defensive crisis at Anfield.

Joel Matip returned to start alongside him in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, but it's worth noting the Cameroonian has only completed 90 minutes on just two occasions in the past 13 months.

Sunday's game saw Trent Alexander-Arnold forced off with a calf injury and join compatriot Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the sidelines.

Image: PA
Image: PA

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker returned ahead of schedule after missing three games due to a shoulder injury, while skipper Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Kostas Tsimikas, Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri have all been missing at some stage this term.

Of all their main men, it does feel like only Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Andy Robertson, Gini Wijnaldum and Diogo Jota have been available.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been highly vocal in wanting the return of five substitutes for Premier League games, fearing more injuries will pile up as a result of the fixture congestion.

"It's a lack of leadership," Klopp said in a press conference, as per Goal.

[Premier League chief executive] Richard Masters sold it completely wrong.

"It's not an advantage [to be able to use five substitutes], it's a necessity. It happens in other countries, it was sold completely wrong and now you have this situation.

"Trent will be out for England, [he] will not be the last or only one [England manager] Gareth [Southgate] will have to deal with either."

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Football, Premier League, Joe Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk, Jurgen Klopp

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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