Ferdinand names the one issue that could ruin Liverpool’s title chances

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Rio Ferdinand spoke to TeamTalk about Liverpool’s chances of retaining their Premier League title.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were undoubtedly the best team in the Premier League last season. The Reds finished 18 points ahead of runners-up Manchester City, but the gap could have been much bigger.

Liverpool will go again to defend their crown but it won’t be as easy as last season. Manchester City will do everything they can to get back on top while the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United look stronger as well.

The Reds’ biggest positive in terms of their squad over the last two years has been their fitness. Most of their players played almost every game in the league but Liverpool would have struggled if one of their stars suffered a long layoff due to injury.

Squad depth is a concern for Liverpool in attack

Ferdinand claims that Liverpool will run away with the league again if everyone stays fit. However, he is worried about their lack of quality backup if one of Sadio Mane or Mo Salah gets injured.

He said: “Questions will be asked of this Liverpool team and their recruitment from this point forward. Their front three have been fit consistently and they might need to look at having some better quality in reserve if Salah or Mane, in particular, are out for a long period.”

“When I look at the teams I played in when we were winning titles every season at Manchester United, we never had two seasons when all the top players were fit for the big games, so Liverpool have had some fortune there and obviously do things right on the medical side as well to get their players right.”

“If they can continue to keep those players fit, I don’t see Liverpool being stopped this season. But it is unlikely that will happen year after year. If things change with the personnel, it opens it up for the other teams and not just Man City.”

Divock Origi has had his highs as a Liverpool player but he cannot deliver the same output as Mane or Salah. Xherdan Shaqiri barely played last season while Takumi Minamino, who can play on the flanks, is still getting used to the Premier League.

Quality backups to their key players will make Liverpool almost unbeatable next season. However, they don’t seem interested in another top-class attacker which could put them in a vulnerable position if one of their famed front-three is sidelined with a big injury.