LONDON • While an untimely series of injuries has left Jurgen Klopp short-handed at the back, the Liverpool manager knows in Fabinho, he has a player as comfortable in defence as he is in midfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold joined a growing casualty list after suffering a knee injury during last weekend's 1-0 win at Brighton, and could be out for up to a month. The decision to loan Nathaniel Clyne to Bournemouth for the season has been questioned, with Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren still working their way back to fitness.
But, while Joel Matip is expected to be back in the squad for today's Premier League game at home to Crystal Palace since fracturing his collarbone during their Champions League win over Napoli on Dec 11, Klopp can afford to resist throwing him into the fray given Fabinho's "defensive brain".
It has taken the Brazil midfielder, signed in the summer for £39 million (S$68.4 million), time to adapt to English football. He made his league debut only in October, but Klopp never had any doubts the "brilliant player" would become a vital cog as Liverpool chase their first league title in 29 years.
The German said: "To have a good footballer in that position when you have the ball is great. He can play in a lot of positions."
The 25-year-old, who was instrumental alongside Virgil van Dijk in defence as the Reds kept a 13th clean sheet in 22 league games at the Amex Stadium to maintain a four-point cushion over champions Manchester City, also saw his switch to "centre-back coming".
He told the club website: "Some weeks ago, I knew this could be an option because we had some players injured. I had some training sessions playing in that position, which helped me adapt better and pick up aspects like positioning and movements."
Another player who will have a key role in helping the table-toppers maintain the league's best defensive record - only 10 goals conceded - against Roy Hodgson's men is left-back Andy Robertson.
The Scotland captain was rewarded on Thursday with a new contract until 2024, after a string of fine performances to cement his starting position in the team.
Klopp said the 24-year-old, who "screams Liverpool", put pen to paper "in almost record time", and Robertson revealed the decision was a "no-brainer".
He said: "I want to stay. As soon as they put an offer on the table, it was signed as quickly as that."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
LIVERPOOL V CRYSTAL PALACE
Singtel TV Ch102 & StarHub Ch227, 11pm
Winks, Lamela, Lloris - Tottenham team news ahead of new stadium opener against Crystal Palace Speaking to Sky Sports, Paul Merson believes that it is a 'must-win' game for Spurs but he thinks it will be a tough ask against the Eagles. He wrote: "It's the first game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and what a big game it is.
Tottenham Hotspur To Play Crystal Palace In First Game At New
Football: Liverpool 'did all we could' in Premier League race
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.
The Toffees headed into Sunday's match-up without a win in any of their previous four Premier League matches at their historic home, but they got back to winning ways thanks to goals from on-loan Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma and young attacker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Zouma rose highest to head home the opening goal
Reds & Toffees win, Blues lose | FOX Sports
Worries that a Barcelona stroll to the title will be boring to watch are not on Ernesto Valverde's mind after his team's latest big win en route to reclaiming their LaLiga crown. ( marca.com ) submitted 1 year ago by scadonl
Messi Secures Barcelona 26th LaLiga Title For His Personal 10th
Air Force will bring back up to 1,000 retirees to plug gap in pilots, other rated officers combat systems officers and air battle managers could return to active duty under a major new
Arsenal v Chelsea Match Report, 19/01/2019 - goal.com
Pele will have an operation to remove a 'ureteral stone,' his doctors said Wednesday, a day after the football great returned to Brazil following treatment in a Paris hospital for an infection. The 78-year-old was admitted to the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo for more tests after arriving in Brazil early Tuesday.
Pele To Undergo Urinary Tract Surgery In Brazil || MQMSU
Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed fears after limping off during Portugal's 1-1 draw with Serbia on Monday night amid claims of a hamstring injury. In the 31st minute, the 34-year-old Juventus forward suddenly stopped running and griped his thigh, with Portugal chasing the game after a Dusan Tadic penalty goal handed Serbia the lead.
Zinedine Zidane allays fears over Cristiano Ronaldo injury
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 28, 2019, with the headline 'Juventus deny Pep link for manager'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
Juventus deny Pep link for manager - theworldnews.net
Jun 01, 2019 · 'This is only the start', says Jürgen Klopp after Liverpool's Champions League triumph - video A nd so, back into the red.
Massimiliano Allegri feels he will leave Juventus with the potential to go on and win the Champions League after it was announced he would "I leave behind a solid group with extraordinary
Massimiliano Allegri to leave Serie A champions Juventus
Pray for no rain: Man City to return to China after Beijing debacle AFP March 26, 2019, 6:44 AM UTC Manchester City's 2016 game against Manchester United was called off due to an unplayable
Pray for no rain: Man City to return to China after Beijing
A welcome aboard letter serves to confirm the new employee's status and start date and lets them know that they are already an integral part of the team. Letters may include onboarding paperwork, either printed out, attached, or linked to in an email, for example.
Welcoming New Employee Message | FutureofWorking.com
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen