Danny Murphy has suggested in The Daily Mail that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should drop Joe Gomez for the Merseyside derby against Everton this coming weekend.
The defending Premier League champions will take on Everton away from home at Goodison Park in the Premier League this coming Saturday.
Former Liverpool midfielder Murphy – who now works as a pundit for BBC Sport and talkSPORT – believes that Klopp should drop Gomez from the starting lineup, adding that the youngster does not look fit.
The 23-year-old centre-back played for the Reds in their 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa in the league before the international break.
Murphy wrote in The Daily Mail: “We cannot gloss over the defeat at Villa of course. Joe Gomez, in particular, has struggled in the heart of the defence this season. He does not look as confident, or even fit, compared to his prime and the manager faces a big decision whether to take him out of the firing line.
“It is always a tricky call. Some players benefit from having a breather, gather their thoughts and come back stronger. I always liked to have that final chance if I was out of form and invariably put in a better performance. For me, rising to the challenge helped, whereas being dropped might have knocked my confidence.
“I do not know Gomez’s character but from the outside, I would say it would be better for Liverpool if Fabinho partnered Virgil van Dijk for the derby, particularly as Klopp should have other strong options in midfield.
“The middle of a back four is such a crucial part of the pitch and particularly so for Liverpool on this occasion, because Everton’s main strength is their front three, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring every time he plays.”
Fabinho in for Joe Gomez?
Fabinho played well as a centre-back against Chelsea, and perhaps Klopp should look into pairing the Brazil international with Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Everton are in brilliant form at the moment, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side will not be scared to take the game to the Reds.
The 26-year-old showed against Chelsea that he can handle top-quality attacking players, and he should be seriously considered to play alongside Van Dijk in defence against Everton.
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