OPINION
With Liverpool’s Premier League campaign kicking off this Sunday against West Ham, manager Jurgen Klopp could be forced into selecting club captain Jordan Henderson for the opening game.
After only returning to the Reds’ training camp on Sunday to start pre-season, the Liverpool Echo revealed on their website that Henderson was not likely to start after World Cup duty this summer.
However, Henderson’s work rate to early training prompted Klopp to field the 28-year-old in their 3-1 victory over Torino at Anfield, making a 20 minute cameo from the bench.
Henderson, who is on £100,000-a-week according to statistics website Spotrac, faces first-team competition from summer signings Naby Keita and Fabinho but is a vital component in the Reds’ squad.
The midfielder elevated his playing levels even further last season, guiding Liverpool to their first Champions League final in 13 years as well as producing a string of top performances at the World Cup.
With the addition of Fabinho, a central defensive midfielder, this can allow Henderson to gain more attacking freedom and, with an excellent distribution, can continue to assist for the frightening forward line that the Reds present.
Henderson will provide support for the new midfield signings who will be making their Premier League debuts in front of their passionate home fans and could struggle to adapt quickly to the fast flowing football that Premier League sides can produce.
The England international’s presence in the heart of the Liverpool side gives the Reds a strong chance of winning on a consistent basis and will give the club a much greater chance of succeeding in league and cup competitions.
