Jurgen Klopp has stated that he has ‘no plans’ to loan any of his Liverpool players out after specifically talking about rumoured Aston Villa target, Joe Gomez, as he told his pre-match press conference.
The Liverpool boss stated ‘nobody came to ask me yet’ amid rumours that Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard want to sign the player next month.
Just like Virgil van Dijk last season, Gomez was also entering into this campaign on the back of a long-term injury.
The differences are that he wasn’t thrust straight back into the starting XI and he did have his setbacks when he did come back.
As a result, he has only played eight games in all competitions for the Reds this term and is seemingly behind Van Dijk, Joel Matip and summer signing, Ibrahima Konate for those centre-back spots.
Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League are now in the middle of a very busy festive period, so there will be many changes to XI’s during these coming weeks.
Klopp was asked about Gomez’s situation and whether the England international will be loaned out.
“It was obviously not the best year for Joe, with the injury, then coming back and having another injury,” said Klopp.
“We didn’t rush his injury or rehab from the tendon injury, but when you start playing and training again, after long-term, we had three 100% fit centre-halves. Four 100% fit centre halves.
“That’s why it’s not so easy to get game time immediately. Then you have game time, then you play and your body isn’t ready for it.
“We are patient and I think Joe is patient now as well. That’s the situation. I don’t have no plans to give anyone on loan in the winter. I won’t be the driving force. Nobody came to me to ask me yet.”
Given what happened to Liverpool centre-backs last season, then it would be hard to see Klopp allow his defenders to leave, unless they ask to.
Gomez does need the game time and his minutes should increase during the coming weeks because of the heavy fixture load.
But he’s not going to be a first-team regular because he does seemingly have three guys in front of him now.
There is also the matter of wanting to get back into the England squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup, so it’s something worth keeping an eye on.
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