Despite never joining the defense, the Germans believe the England man and former Cameroon star could rise to the occasion.
Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that the back partnership between Joe Gomez and Joel Matip will be “tested” – but Liverpool Supremo says he knows they will be able to successfully co-exist without a “shadow of doubt”.
Virgil Van Dijk will be out for most of the season after the ACL suffered a hamstring injury in a clash with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during last week’s Merseyedide derby.
Leaving Fabinho behind by partnering with English regular Gomez to win the Champions League against Ajax in midweek, Klopp is mocking how to solve the long-term problem of rationally replacing the world’s best defender for their first top-flight title defense in three decades. .
The former Cameroon international is thought to be among the clear candidates for Dejan Lovren’s departure during the international transfer window, but he has not started a match alongside the 29-year-old Gomez, who was effectively at regular replacements like him. In the last two seasons, the pair’s period pitch has rarely matched fitness with boots.
Prior to his team’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United, Klopp revealed that the two had not previously lined up shoulder to shoulder and he admitted that they would face the baptism of the two plus Fabinho Fire. Look at Van Dijk’s left gap path.
“Because [why they never played together] Because I think Verge played all the games pretty well and one of them got injured, “he said.” Until Dejan Lovren was here and Dejan was fit at that moment [he could play].
“I didn’t know they’d never played together, I didn’t know, but they could play together – not a shadow of a doubt. As I said in favor of Fabinho and Joe, they need to get used to each other and the whole backs need to get used to them.
“The more stability you have on this line, the better. We’ve never really been, especially in a position where there’s always been a lot of change. They’ll fight together, no doubt about it.
“It’s football and it hasn’t turned into rocket science overnight. We can help with their information but they will be tested every three days, that’s the situation.”
