Jurgen Klopp identifies Liverpool's "winner of the season" amid injury problems
Jurgen Klopp has dubbed Joe Gomez Liverpool's winner of the season after the defender's reliability stepping in for both first-choice full-backs at times this season.
Specialist centre-back Gomez has played at right-back both last season and this, be that as cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold or as a more defensive option when the academy graduate has stepped into midfield. More recently, though, he has been called upon on the other flank while Andy Robertson recovers from the shoulder injury he picked up playing for Scotland in October.
Robertson was back on the bench on Wednesday night as Klopp's Reds squeaked past Fulham to book their place in the Carabao Cup final. He wasn't needed on the night, though, with Klopp sticking Gomez for the full 90 minutes.
Gomez, who has dealt with injury woes of his own in the past, is already close to matching his tally of appearances from last season. Speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup match against Norwich City, Klopp hailed the 11-cap England international and argued the former Charlton man is back to his best in Liverpool red.
"Definitely having a rest is good," Klopp told reporters. "Three months is too long, especially for Robbo. When it happened, it was really shocking. We knew we had Kosti but we had an awful lot of games coming. Then Joey stepped in and that's really positive. He's the winner of the season for sure, he is back to his best.
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"We had solutions without knowing we will have them to that extent. We had to adapt, formation-wise point of view. We can always deal with a few injuries. A few more and you might have to change formation, that's what we did."
Has this been Joe Gomez's best Liverpool season? Have your say in the comments section
Joe Gomez played 90 minutes against Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (PA)Wednesday night's trip to Craven Cottage saw Liverpool set out to defend the narrowest of leads. Second-half goals from Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo had seen them come from behind to win the first leg of their semi-final, and Luis Diaz extended their aggregate lead in the second leg, only for Issa Diop to scare them with a second-half effort and leave them clinging on.
Chelsea now await in the Carabao Cup final, in a repeat of the 2022 edition when Klopp's team won on penalties. The final is a month away, with a league meeting with the Blues to come before then, and Liverpool's manager explained Wembley was far from the front of their minds at this stage.
"We don't have to worry about that now," he said. "The response in the dressing room was really cool. It was nice to see what it means to the boys. I said before to them it obviously means everything to Fulham so it must mean that much to us."
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