Juergen Klopp has a number of alternatives to address the situation as Dominick Szoboszlai is set to miss further time due to a recurrence of his hamstring injury.
Following Szoboszlai’s absence from the Reds’ 3-1 loss to Arsenal, news has surfaced suggesting the No. 8 may be out for a lengthier amount of time.
The midfield player might miss up to four weeks, according to early reports from his home country of Hungary. That would keep him out of action for an additional six games, including the Carabao Cup final.
Although that has subsequently been refuted, the fact remains that Szoboszlai is currently absent, and his absence will need to be accommodated, if not completely. This will affect Burnley’s visit.
Thankfully, Klopp will have plenty of choices to choose from in the Hungarian’s absence.
Obviously, either Elliott or Gravenberch
Klopp made the decision to replace one right-sided No. 8 with another like-for-like at Arsenal.
Although Harvey Elliott will have also been seen as the other proven candidate in that job, Ryan Gravenberch began his career at the Emirates.
If Szoboszlai’s injury is only temporary, the manager probably won’t change Gravenberch or Elliott’s starting position in the middle of the field, but there’s definitely room for debate over which one is better.
Returning with Endo, Mac Allister as No. 8
The club’s ongoing absences were discussed by Klopp last week when he said, “We always could deal with it because we were lucky with the boys who were still available or came back from injury.”
When one player was injured, another would either come back sooner or better from the academy.
Given that Wataru Endo returned to first-team training this week following Japan’s Asian Cup elimination, that might happen once again.
Before leaving for Qatar, Endo was playing at a high level, and Szoboszlai’s injury may allow the 30-year-old and Alexis Mac Allister to start on the same team.
Extra time in the midfield for Gakpo
Although many may not find it ideal, Klopp has shown time and time again this season that he has faith in Cody Gakpo in the middle of the field.
The Dutchman has started seven times this season as a No. 8, including victories over Chelsea(1-1), Bournemouth(3-1), and Brentford (3-0) out of his 32 outings thus far.
With Mohamed Salah getting closer to playing again after a hamstring injury, Klopp might start the midfield player Gakpo against teams like Burnley and Luton.
Bradley will advance Trent.
Before the tragic news of his father’s death broke, there was a sincere discussion about whether Klopp could just bench Conor Bradley to make room for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s comeback.
In truth, it appeared as though Bradley would start for the sixth week in a row against Arsenal because Alexander-Arnold has still not entirely recovered from a knee injury.
Now, if Szoboszlai is sidelined as anticipated, the manager may start both players in the same lineup: Bradley at right back when he’s fit to play again, and Alexander-Arnold as an all-purpose midfielder.
Chance for a swansong for Thiago
One bright spot in the Arsenal loss was that Thiago made a brief appearance, marking his return after a nine-month absence.
With his contract about to expire and no scheduled discussions, the Spaniard will most likely depart Liverpool at the end of the season. There had been concerns that he had already played his final game following hip surgery.
But one of the best technical players in the club’s history has a chance to play his final game.
Naturally, Liverpool will be cautious when it comes to Thiago’s playing time as he recovers, but Szoboszlai may be able to accrue more minutes if he is out.
