Jurgen Klopp prepared to use ’emergency cover’ to deal with Liverpool problem

Liverpool are set for a quiet summer transfer window after the coronavirus pandemic.

Whilst more incomings have not been entirely ruled out, Jurgen Klopp looks set to make do with largely the squad which ended their title drought last season.

Left-back Kostas Tsimikas is likely to be the only first-team arrival, despite some players leaving over the summer.

Centre-back is an area viewed as many as a potential problem for the Reds with Dejan Lovren departing the club at the end of the campaign without being replaced.

And whilst he now only has three senior centre-backs in his squad in the form of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, manager Klopp is said to be unconcerned.

According to the LiverpoolEcho, he is happy to utilise central midfielder Fabinho as emergency cover, as he did during a brief injury crisis last season.

Whilst they acknowledge the market could move quickly, they are not actively pursuing a new centre-back to replace Lovren.

As a result, Matip and Gomez will battle it out to partner Van Dijk, with Klopp fully prepared to rely on Fabinho if necessary.

The Brazilian has become a crucial cog in Klopp’s well-oiled machine in midfield but added cover in that area means he can be deployed in the back four if necessary.

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Several youngsters are also pushing to break into Klopp’s defence.

He has publicly praised the imposing Billy Koumetio in pre-season, whilst Sepp van de Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever are amongst those to also feature on the fringes of the first-team.

But the experience of Fabinho means he is most likely to be deployed if a crisis occurs with one less senior centre-back in the Reds squad.