Charlie Austin told talkSPORT that Liverpool only have three leaders – Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Virgil van Dijk.
Only one of those players was in action for Liverpool during their Merseyside derby defeat over the weekend, with Van Dijk a long-term absentee and Milner going off injured during the Leicester loss.
Well, Henderson joined the above trio in the treatment room after his own injury against Everton, which just sums up where Liverpool are at the moment.
And going by QPR striker Austin, it will then leave the struggling Premier League champions with zero leaders for their forthcoming games.
“You look at the top teams over the past years,” said Austin. “Man United had full leaders, didn’t they? Not one or two. They had five, six or seven.
“Even Manchester City. The big Chelsea team with Mourinho. They have leaders. I think that’s showing more than ever now, that’s coming to hurt Liverpool that there are not having leaders.
“You have Henderson, Milner and Van Dijk. For me, it’s stops.”
Liverpool fans will just be dreaming that a few of their key players are fit from now until the end of the campaign because they are heading towards finishing outside of the top-four, at this rate.
Fabinho, Henderson and Milner are the realistic options to return. And if they can make that comeback then it will perhaps allow Jurgen Klopp to play two of them in midfield.
Amid all these centre-back issues, one area that has hurt Liverpool the most is their engine room. Henderson and Milner returning to the middle of the park might just lift the Reds from their current gloom.
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