Joe Gomez shares what Jurgen Klopp keeps saying to the Liverpool squad about their injured players

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Joe Gomez has shared a behind-the-curtain view into Liverpool’s current selection issues.

The Reds have had to make do without a number of important players throughout the recent festive period. Nevertheless, Jurgen Klopp has his team sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League and still going strong in three cup competitions.

That they’re doing it without the likes of Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip and now Mohamed Salah is incredibly impressive.

And speaking to liverpoolfc.com yesterday, Gomez suggested that that’s all down to Klopp. The Liverpool manager is urging his players to all help each other out and take things one game at a time.

“We’re not over-analysing who we lost and who we don’t have,” says the 26-year-old. “We’ve got top players who we’ve missed this year – Thiago, Robertson, Kostas [Tsimikas], Mo going [to the Africa Cup of Nations].

“But the gaffer keeps reiterating we can all do a job defensively and we can all defend, [and it] means we don’t have to worry about who’s missing. We have to keep that mentality. It’s still early and there’s a long way to go but we can only take one at a time.”

Liverpool staying mentally strong

In fairness to Klopp, he should have plenty of practice in guiding Liverpool through an injury crisis. It feels like almost every year that we have one.

In comparison to other years – 2020/21 in particular – this current set of missing players doesn’t feel all that bad, really.

But the reason it doesn’t feel all that bad is down to how well Liverpool have coped. Because when you look at who they’re missing on paper, they shouldn’t be doing this well.

Thiago by now is a walking injury problem. But when fit, the Spaniard is arguably still the Reds’ most talented midfielder. He’d walk into near enough any team on the planet if able to do so. Matip had reasserted himself this season and looked like being back to his elegant best, before injury struck.

Then there’s Robertson who has been a mainstay for six years now. Tsimikas’ injury wouldn’t hit so hard, but with Robbo out too, it means Klopp is now without a natural left-back to choose from.

Stefan Bajcetic is one of the most promising young players in Europe, and Liverpool have had to get on by without him as well.

Add into the mix long-ish term issues for Alexis Mac Allister, Diogo Jota and even Alisson Becker, and it’s a wonder the Reds are where they are. As Gomez says, that’s all down to mentality. And that comes from the manager.

It hopefully won’t be too long before Liverpool are a full compliment once again. When that time comes, they’re going to take some stopping.