The World Cup break appeared to come at an ideal time for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, giving the German’s injury-hit frontline a month out to build up their fitness and prepare to attack the Premier League with renewed vigour.
By the time Liverpool are back in action against Manchester City in the EFL Cup on December 22nd, however, Klopp’s forward options are likely to be about as limited as they were at the start of November, when the club season was placed on pause.
Any hopes of an imminent return for Diogo Jota have gone up in smoke; The Athletic reporting that the Portugal international may be out until February. So Klopp could have done without another setback in the shape of Luis Diaz’s niggling knee problem.
“It’s clear it’s a big disappointment for all of us. For him as well,” Klopp sighed after Diaz, who has been out of action for two months already, was ruled out for an extended period (Sky Sports).
“It was a non-situation in training, honestly. (He said he) felt something. We wanted to be really cautious and said, ‘OK, come on, let’s have a look.’
“Then the news came and it was a proper smash in the face.”
Could Liverpool step up Cody Gakpo chase after Jurgen Klopp confirms Luis Diaz injury blow?
With Diaz and Jota out of action, Klopp has just three forwards at his disposal ahead of the Premier League’s return after Christmas; Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez. The latter may also need some time to get up to speed again after a disappointing World Cup campaign with Uruguay.
So if Liverpool needed any extra encouragement to launch a January assault for PSV Eindhoven talisman Cody Gakpo, Diaz’s injury may be it.
“Liverpool have sent their scouts to PSV games to monitor Gakpo,” Fabrizio Romano tells Caught Offside. “They did the same with (Ajax’s Mohammed) Kudus. But there is still no meeting scheduled between agents and Liverpool, as of today.
“For sure, with this kind of super performances (at the World Cup, three goals in five games), interest is growing.”
Gakpo, like Diaz, is at his most devastating and effective when cutting inside from the left. For club and country, the-now-£65 million-rated Dutchman has a staggering 18 goals and 18 assists in 2022/23 already.
And, according to Dutch reporter Hans Kraay Jr, Gakpo already has a keen admirer at Anfield; Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders.
“Lijnders has said: ‘Gakpo is our missing link’,” Kraay Jr explains. “He is taken very seriously at Liverpool, and he is one of the few people Klopp listens to.”
Liverpool, back in 2020/21, very nearly missed out on Champions League qualification following an injury crisis which derailed their title defence. If Klopp and co are to avoid a similarly nerve-shredding end to the current campaign, the January window feels like an opportunity not to be missed.
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