Adam Lallana has suggested Liverpool have enough strength in depth at centre-back despite Virgil van Dijk’s injury and suggested Jordan Henderson could even fill in.
Adam Lallana said “Of course, it’s gonna have a huge impact. He’s the best defender in the world, but the characters they’ve got in the group, they’ll all know they’ve got to give that little bit more. They’ll all know they’ve got to step up, they’ll all know they’ve got to perform and I back them to do that. You’ve seen that so far with Fabinho’s performances since he’s been asked to play centre-half and he’s been sensational. Joe Gomez has stepped up as well, he’s very young but he’s played so many games at such a high standard. They’ve definitely got the ability to perform at the highest level and still win silverware even without the sensational Virgil van Dijk. Joel Matip’s back fit too. Even Jordan Henderson played centre-half in the World Club Cup last year and did alright! So they’ll be fine, they’ve got some good young talent coming through as well. I think they’ll be absolutely fine.”
The Dutchman will miss a large portion of the 2020/21 season after suffering an ACL injury against Everton on October 17. Surgery will rule Van Dijk out for at least six months, although Liverpool are reluctant to put a timescale on his return to action. Without Van Dijk, Fabinho and Joe Gomez have been Jurgen Klopp’s preferred defensive pairing, with Joel Matip still on the sidelines. Whilst some have suggested that Liverpool must dip into the market for a new defender, having sold Dejan Lovren in the summer, Lallana believes they club are well-stocked to cope without their best defender.
