Jamie Carragher has claimed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones could be the players who replace the departed Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, as he told Sky Sports (02/01/22 at 7:15 pm).
Both Mane and Salah have already left for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and they will miss several games for Liverpool.
Whilst most of those games include cup matches, they won’t be available for two Premier League games, that’s if their respective nations get to the final.
Divock Origi is already out injured, so that rules out him coming into the front three, so there will be a lot of emphasis on Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.
Carragher shared why he thinks Jones and Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the men to come in during these coming weeks.
“You can’t replace them,” said Carragher. “I am just thinking what they did (against Chelsea) in bringing Curtis Jones on. They also brought Oxlade-Chamberlain on.
“So, they actually brought midfield players on to replace the attackers. I know they didn’t have the options on the bench. It will just be interesting to see if Liverpool go more that way, rather than just playing two attackers. Maybe they go with two.
“And maybe try and get more control in games and having an extra midfield player from a wide position who is going to stiffen up the midfield because, at the moment, Liverpool do have a problem in terms of controlling games.
“I don’t think they have the quality or even the numbers to replace them and go with a real front three that’s threatening. They do have a lot of numbers in midfield. I think that’s what they may do. Go with an extra central midfield player.”
Liverpool have a two-legged EFL Cup showdown with Arsenal in between their FA Cup game during this coming week.
Even if Salah and Mane were available, Jurgen Klopp would have played a number of his youngsters, as he likes to do.
Someone like Neco Williams will come in at right-back, so when it comes to the Premier League games, perhaps it’s about keeping him at fullback and pushing Alexander-Arnold in Salah’s position?
Then Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota – if they are available – play in their respective positions up top and out on the left.
Either way, Klopp has some decisions to make and he can use the domestic matches to perhaps try a few things out.
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