Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool are facing a “really tough” period after injury to Kostas Tsimikas pushed his defensive options further towards the limit.
Tsimikas is expected to be sidelined for several months having suffered a broken collarbone when pushed over by Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka during the 1-1 Premier League draw at Anfield on Saturday night.
With Andy Robertson still likely to be missing for several weeks as he recovers from a dislocated shoulder suffered in October, Liverpool do not have a recognised senior left-back option.
Joe Gomez, who came on for Tsimikas against the Gunners, will now act as emergency cover for the trip to Burnley on Boxing Day, with Klopp’s only other alternative being teenager Luke Chambers, whose first-team experience has thus far been limited to two Europa League starts and two brief substitute appearances.
Liverpool have a busy start to January, with the Premier League visit of Newcastle United on New Year’s Day followed by an FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal and the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Fulham, although the Reds are then scheduled to have 11 days off due to the mid-season break barring the need for an FA Cup replay.
And Klopp said: “Can Joe play all the games now until I don’t know when? Robbo will be back and Kostas will be definitely out for a long while. I don’t know, we’ll have to see.
“I didn’t have time to think it through yet but it is really tough for us now. You have injuries sometimes and you have to accept all of them but a broken collarbone is really bad because it takes so long to heal.
“Robbo had a different injury but it takes a long time to recover as well. We all know we need luck in these moments and now we have to just make sure we put Joey in cotton wool and make sure he is ready for the game.”
With Gomez needed at left-back, Klopp’s centre-back options have been further compromised. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate started in the heart of defence against Arsenal, but 20-year-old Jarell Quansah is the only other central defender available given Joel Matip is out for the season after ACL surgery.
Liverpool could be without Luis Diaz for Boxing Day after the winger took a blow to his knee during a challenge with Saka. None of the Reds’ other injury players are likely to return in time for Turf Moor, with Klopp admitting the game has almost certainly come too soon for Diogo Jota, who has been out for a month with a hamstring problem.
“I don’t want to rule anybody out now, we’ll see,” said the Liverpool boss. “We only have one more proper session now so we will see but it would be a surprise. I don’t know. Diogo hasn’t trained with the team but the session I saw was really intense.”
