Jurgen Klopp can use Ozan Kabak injury scare to his advantage

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Ozan Kabak has an injury that may keep him out of the Manchester United game on Thursday. Jurgen Klopp may be able to use that to his advantage, though.

Liverpool pretty much have to beat Manchester United on Thursday. They’re now nine points behind Leicester City, though with two games in hand.

There are only two more games for Leicester left, meaning Liverpool will aim for maximum points from their remaining fixtures. It’s the only realistic way they can finish in the Champions League places.

It’s quite devastating, then, that Ozan Kabak has an injury to worry about.

Ozan Kabak injury

Kabak missed the Southampton game on Saturday, of course, meaning Rhys Williams partnered the returning Nat Phillips at the back. It went quite well, though Williams isn’t quite suited to the Liverpool system.

He’s better with a deep backline, rather than consistently testing his pace against forwards. In that respect, Liverpool were fortunate that Danny Ings missed the game.

But United feature several forwards who thrive on high-lines. Liverpool need to be at their best to stop them and that’s why we struggle to see Williams starting if Kabak can’t.

Instead, Fabinho would surely drop back into the defence to partner Phillips. That, however, leaves a gap in midfield.

Liverpool are undoubtedly better with the Brazilian shielding the defence. The midfield balances better, with defensive responsibility falling primarily on Fabinho. The centre-backs don’t have to step out as much, either, and can focus on runs in behind.

The game against United becomes a lot more difficult if Fabinho isn’t in defensive midfield.

But we don’t actually know what Jurgen Klopp plans to do. And perhaps that’s the only way he can turn this into a positive of sorts.

Keep them guessing

Klopp actually tried this the first time around. He never revealed whether Nat Phillips was back for the original scheduled game between the two, leaving United in the dark over Liverpool’s XI.

Then he put Phillips on his teamsheet. Unfortunately, the game was postponed.

Liverpool with their preferred defence is a different beast than Liverpool without it. The same goes for midfield – the Reds lack the options to remain consistent through all of these injuries.

But that does make them harder to prepare for. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t know what Liverpool will look like on Thursday and that makes his job harder.

Will Kabak play? If he does, then he can probably figure out most of the XI. Fabinho will be in midfield, certainly, and United would have to deal with that.

But if Kabak doesn’t play, would Fabinho be in defence? If so, how does the rest of the team look? It could be 4-3-3 with Naby Keita drafted in, or maybe James Milner. But Klopp is just as likely to go 4-2-4 as against Manchester City earlier this year.

That would mean United have to shuffle their midfield around to deal with Liverpool’s extra numbers up top. They’d be competing against a very different attack.

Klopp can’t afford to let United know how to prepare until they see that teamsheet, though. Leave them in the dark and hope to catch them off guard.

It’s a minor advantage to Liverpool but it’s still an advantage. And as the Reds prepare for an enormous game, they’ll take all the help they can get.