Jurgen Klopp already has the ideal player to step in while Thiago Alcantara recovers from injury for Liverpool.
That’s according to Shaun Wright-Phillips. Speaking on The Kelly & Wrighty Show on Optus Sport, Wright-Phillips claimed that Harvey Elliott is in fact Thiago’s perfect replacement.
“Harvey Elliott for me has been the perfect person to replace Thiago. His energy, he loves attacking and he’s got the quality to do the these things he has done in this game,” said the former England winger.
Going one step further, Wright-Phillips suggested that Liverpool should actually leave Elliott in the team even when Thiago returns to fitness.
“I think they should leave him in there. He would do fantastic, especially in that Thiago area. He’s never going to control the game like Thiago, because he’s phenomenal at doing that. But I would have thought he was bringing Jude Bellingham to play alongside either Fabinho or Henderson, because he would be that midfielder who would go box to box,” he said.
“For me even before he got injured I was like ‘who is this kid? He’s fantastic’. And to come back from the injury he’s had at this form is unbelievable.”
Elliott may miss Newcastle game
There’s no question that Elliott has been one of Liverpool’s better players in a stuttering start to the season.
Unfortunately, it does now appear as though he may have to take an enforced break from the team. After coming off at half-time on Saturday, he looked as though he was sitting out of training for Liverpool yesterday.
That could be just a precaution, nothing to worry about. But with a game coming up tomorrow against Newcastle United, it might be touch-and-go for his involvement.
It would be a real shame for Elliott to miss out once he’s on a roll. Having scored his first Premier League goal on Saturday, he should be full of confidence.
From a wider Liverpool point of view it’s also worrying in regards to the midfield options available. Thankfully, Curtis Jones is now back in training and Klopp should be able to call on him in some capacity tomorrow.
The Liverpool manager is due to speak to the press this afternoon. We’ll know more about who is, and isn’t, available tomorrow then.
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