Joel Matip and Joe Gomez will now start at the same position for Liverpool against Aston Villa on Sunday, according to manager Jurgen Klopp.
All eyes are on incomings and outgoings at this point in the transfer window. Before the deadline at Anfield tomorrow evening, there might still be a plenty of both. Ryan Gravenberch is a midfielder at Bayern Munich, and Liverpool will make a strong effort to get him so Jurgen Klopp has another option. In that aspect, his roster has been completely depleted from last season, and he has needed the entire summer to find his ideal replacements. Mohamed Salah’s future will also be the focus of attention, as Al-Ittihad is frantically trying to sign the Egyptian.
Klopp must make some significant decisions on the pitch. Darwin Nunez’s two goals from the bench will undoubtedly have given his boss pause. Since Klopp has fewer choices at center-back, he’ll probably start Joel Matip alongside Joe Gomez. Prior to Sunday’s game, he was forced to make a decision due to Virgil van Dijk’s suspension and Ibrahima Konate’s readiness.
Matip and Gomez will begin against Villa. According to a report from the Liverpool Echo, Matip participated in a practise on Wednesday at Liverpool’s practise facility. They continue by saying that he’s ‘almost certain’ to play alongside Joe Gomez, who stood out against Newcastle. Liverpool may have considered adding to its squad at center-back this summer. Although Piero Hincapie has been mentioned, a move appears unlikely to be completed at this point in the transfer window. Matip, who earns £100,000 a week, is still a very excellent player, but he struggles to stay healthy for extended periods of time.
Joe Gomez has experienced similar troubles with his fitness, so if any of them gets hurt against Villa, Klopp will turn to youngster Jarell Quansah. Few Liverpool supporters would have predicted that Matip and Gomez would start together after four Premier League games. They must contend with a very tenacious Aston Villa attack that is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the opening Trent Alexander-Arnold creates when he charges forward.
