Despite the unexpected departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, Liverpool’s renewal of its midfield structure last summer has paid off, and the club is still fighting for the top spot in the Premier League. However, they lost a number of players in a busy December.
Joel Matip and Kostas Tsimikas suffered a string of long-term injuries, and Andy Robatoson has not returned from his national team injury. Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic have also been out of action for a long time.
The center backs are especially thin due to Matip’s injury and Joe Gomez’s use at left back. Virgil van Dijk is also approaching veteran status, and there have been reports that he could be reinforced this winter, but Paul Joyce of “The Times” wrote that this is unlikely to happen.
“As it stands, it is unlikely that Liverpool will move into the market during January,”
“The youngster Owen Beck has been brought back from a loan spell at Dundee to provide options at left back after the injuries to Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. Longer term, a centre back is required.”
The loan deal with Celtic has ended and 26-year-old defender Nathaniel Phillips has returned to Anfield and is expected to remain at the club as a backup.
Robertson is also not expected to be back for that long, and combined with the background of the difficulty of acquiring a major player mid-season, it seems likely that he will be carried over to the transfer market this summer.