Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne whose absence has been sorely missed by the Merseyside club is all set to miss another three months of football. This is likely to further stretch Liverpool’s already thin backline. In Clyne’s absence, youngsters Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold have filled in for the right-back slot.
Clyne is yet to play this season and this latest injury set-back all but means that he will miss out on England’s final World Cup squad. Klopp had earlier said on Clyne’s injury, “Nathaniel is working hard on his rehab and we have kept a close eye on his progress, but the reality is we are looking at some time still before he is back and available for selection. I am told it will be longer than just a couple of weeks, so we will continue to monitor and assess.”
Klopp had also asserted that Clyne would miss out on the matches in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. “It is pretty certain he’ll not be available for the majority of the Champions League group matches. If we are fortunate enough to still be in Uefa competition in the New Year he could be added to the squad then. The medical guys are pleased with how he is responding and Nathaniel has shown a really strong attitude, given he is not someone who is used to being out injured.”
It now remains to be seen if Liverpool dip into the market in the January transfer window to get a replacement for Clyne. The injury to the English right-back seems to be a serious one and Liverpool would be wise to get a replacement as their defense is already facing a lot of criticism for letting in cheap goals.
