RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesGreat news! Forgotten Liverpool defender returns from injury
A forgotten about defender has returned to action from injury for Liverpool and it's great news.
Liverpool's transfer priorities have understandably centred around signing attackers and rebuilding the midfield, but there is another issue brewing that deserves just as much attention. Right now, Andoni Iraola is dealing with a defensive headache that nobody really saw coming.
The Reds are in the middle of pre-season, a period that's supposed to be about building chemistry, learning new tactical ideas and getting everyone up to speed before the serious action starts. Instead, Iraola has barely had a full-strength defence to work with.
It's been a bit of a nightmare.
Joe Gomez is currently sidelined with an injury, Giovanni Leoni is still making his way back after a lengthy spell on the treatment table, and Virgil van Dijk is continuing his preparations at the AXA Training Centre rather than featuring in matches. As if that wasn't enough, new signing Jeremy Jacquet has also picked up a knock, delaying his first real opportunity to settle into his new surroundings.
That has left Liverpool incredibly short at centre-back.
In fact, for the club's opening two pre-season games, Iraola's senior options in the middle of defence have effectively been Luke Chambers, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
All three deserve enormous credit for stepping up. They're talented youngsters, and Liverpool clearly believe they have bright futures ahead of them.
But let's be honest, this is far from the ideal situation. Ndukwe cannot even be used for the regular season as he doesn't qualify for a work-permit and will have to be sent out on loan.
There's a huge difference between giving academy players valuable minutes and asking them to lead your defence while several senior internationals are unavailable. That's not how Liverpool would have planned this summer to unfold.
It's also a problem for Iraola himself. Every new manager wants pre-season to be about building partnerships and drilling tactical ideas into the squad.
Centre-back is arguably the most important position for that because communication, positioning and understanding are everything. Instead of working with the defenders he'll likely rely on during the season, Iraola has spent much of pre-season mixing and matching because he simply hasn't had much choice.
The good news is that this shouldn't last forever. Van Dijk will return, Gomez and Leoni should eventually be back to full fitness and Jacquet's issue isn't expected to keep him out for too long.
Even so, it's an early reminder of how quickly things can unravel.
Liverpool's defensive depth is already being tested before a competitive ball has even been kicked, and if the injuries continue to pile up, Richard Hughes may have to think seriously about adding another centre-back before the transfer window slams shut.
Thankfully, there is some good news on the way. Liverpool are coming back to the AXA training centre and as they return they will be welcomed by Van Dijk, who should be able to play the last two friendly games against Como and AS Monaco.
However, Van Dijk is not the only defender who could help out Iraola during this crisis.
Many have forgotten about Wellity Lucky who made a handful of appearances under Arne Slot last season, playing in the League Cup most notably against Crystal Palace.
Lucky is very highly regarded at Liverpool but he's been forgotten about because he picked up an injury earlier this year. That injury has forced him to be sidelined for months.
Liverpool Academy account on Instagram .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.