Arne Slot has to bring back Jurgen Klopp plan against Real Madrid after new injury problem - opinion
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Liverpool face a crucial week in their season as Real Madrid and Manchester City both visit Anfield.
Incredibly consistent up until this point, back-to-back games against the European and English champions will be a real test of the Reds’ mettle.
Thankfully, Liverpool’s terrific start to life in the new-look Champions League format this term means that Wednesday’s clash with Real does not have as much riding on it as might have been expected.
As a result of that, and with City coming at the weekend, it looks probable that Arne Slot will rotate his Liverpool squad just a little bit for Madrid’s visit.
One player who has looked in need of that rotation for much of the season has been Andy Robertson.
And after Robertson put in another below par display against Southampton on Sunday, it seems a risk to ask him to go again on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Slot, though, injury to Kostas Tsimikas means he’s going to have to come up with an alternative plan.
Arne Slot has to employ Joe Gomez plan
We had expected Tsimikas to play against Southampton after both he and Robertson played twice for their countries during the international break.
However, Slot had no option but to play Robertson after his Greek competitor wasn’t fit enough to make the matchday squad.
With Tsimikas now confirmed to be injured, Slot has to choose between sticking Robertson in again – and then likely for a further time against Man City – or doing something he’s never done before at Liverpool; play Joe Gomez at left-back.
Gomez excelled on the left of the defence under Jurgen Klopp last season.
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But despite his clear comfort in the position, the 27-year-old has not featured at left-back for any of his 261 minutes on the pitch under Slot so far.
Instead, Gomez has exclusively been used as a centre-back aside from a brief stint at right-back when coming on for Trent Alexander-Arnold against AC Milan.
The Liverpool head coach is clearly not really considering Gomez as an option on the left. But with Tsimikas injured and question marks over Robertson, Slot is going to have to take a leaf out of Klopp’s book.
Joe Gomez ready for Liverpool chance
Wednesday’s game against Madrid will be a tough one for Gomez to be thrown in for.
However, the Spanish giants are also missing both Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, with the former perhaps normally expected to be on the right of Carlo Ancelotti’s attack.
Arda Guler played that position during Madrid’s 3-0 win over Leganes on Sunday, though, and the young Turk looks set to do so again at Anfield.
Nevertheless, with Guler being a slight player, Gomez should fancy his chances.
Klopp had little hesitation in chucking the No.2 in to cover for Robertson and Tsimikas with Gomez ending last season as Liverpool’s best performing left-back. That was not part of the plan for Slot, but he now has little choice left but to pivot to it.
