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The former Liverpool star believes the Reds would be hurting their Premier League title chances if they don’t reinforce their squad.
It is “inconceivable” that Liverpool will not sign a new central defender in January, says Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has had to deal with a number of injuries this season, but none more so than in the center of defense.
The hugely influential Virgil van Dijk is expected to miss much of the season after suffering a knee injury against Everton in October.
Joe Gomez suffered a knee problem in England the following month and is also expected to miss most of the season.
Midfielder Fabinho has operated successfully as a substitute center-back, but Joel Matip alongside him has struggled with a series of nagging injuries, leaving youngsters Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips as the only other central defense options.
Despite all those setbacks, the Merseysiders start 2021 with a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Carragher, however, believes that they run the risk of backing off the table if they don’t bring in reinforcements.
“Jurgen Klopp will curse a missed opportunity if Liverpool don’t retain their title,” the former Reds defender told the Telegraph. Liverpool are the best team in England, but circumstances have opened the door for everyone who dreams of catching them.
“I felt at the beginning of the season that the only thing that could stop Liverpool was injuries. In August, my fear was that a setback to one of the three forwards could make them fall back into the group. The club addressed that with the signing of Diogo Jota. Now my concern is with his defensive issues.
“Virgil Van Dijk’s injury alone will cost Liverpool between nine and 12 points over the course of this season. Although Fabinho has proven to be a fantastic substitute at the back, Joel Matip’s continued problems mean, at least to me , that it is inconceivable that Liverpool will not sign another center midfielder at the first opportunity.
“I can’t understand the logic of not doing it. The club needed one anyway.
“If Matip keeps in and out of the side, and then Fabinho gets injured, how can Liverpool expect to perform at the highest level with only the inexperienced Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips to intervene? That is too great a risk.
“The way Liverpool have dealt with the loss of key players so far shows that they will still need to stop, but it won’t be as one-sided as last year and not hiring another defender will only raise the hopes of everyone else.”
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