Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Liverpool will be back in the title hunt next season if Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez come back and immediately return to their best.
Liverpool finished third this season despite the fact they were without their two first-choice centre-halves, and Ferdinand believes that once the injured pair are back in action, the Reds will be right up there once again.
What’s been said?
Ferdinand says that Liverpool will be back to their best once van Dijk and Gomez are fit.
“They need van Dijk and Gomez to come back fit. If those two come back and play anywhere near the level they were playing before, Liverpool will be back in the mix, without a doubt. But also another midfielder is probably going to be needed to be added to that squad man,” Ferdinand said.
Easier said than done
Of course, if van Dijk and Gomez are back to their best Liverpool will again be one of the top sides in Europe, but that’s easier said than done.
Serious injuries can affect a player’s career. They can lose a yard of pace, they may not jump as high and it can even affect them mentality, especially as defenders if they become more conservative when going into challenges.
The sad reality is that we don’t know whether or not van Dijk and Gomez will be back to their best, but we can only hope that their games have not been affected by these long-term fitness issues.
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