Former Scotland international Alan Hutton believes that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will bring centre back Joel Matip back into the starting line up against Leicester City on Saturday.
The Cameroon international dropped to the bench for Wednesday’s 4-3 Champions League victory over Red Bull Salzburg, but the chaotic nature of that defensive display likely means Matip will return against the Foxes.
Hutton certainly thinks so: “Talking of [Virgil] van Dijk, I think he does play best alongside Matip, I think they complement each other well so bringing a new partnership in, I think it’s always best to keep with the same back four or three,” he told Football Insider.
“I can’t see this happening all that often, I think it’s a kind of one-off. [Will Matip be back in if fit?] I would have said so. I think at the start of the season most people would have said it would be [a] Gomez and Van Dijk partnership. Matip’s come in and I think they work so well together. It’s been proven over the beginning week of the season. It looks good, those two working together, and I presume if fit that’ll be his number one partnership.”
OPINION
This is a big decision for Klopp, and his choice could have real consequences with whoever he picks set to go up against one of the Premier League’s most lethal attackers in Jamie Vardy. There’s really not a lot between Matip and Gomez, except age-wise, where it would make sense to cultivate the burgeoning Gomez-Van Dijk partnership. However, as we saw on Wednesday, the two of them are perhaps a little rusty when it comes to playing together. Although, it must be said that it was Van Dijk who was the poorer of the two Reds’ centre halves. Gomez was certainly busy on Wednesday. As per WhoScored.com, he made five tackles, three interceptions and two clearances, on his way to a 7.50 WhoScored rating for the game. So the blame for the rocky defensive display seems to have been put unfairly on his shoulders. Matip, on the other hand, has been far less active this campaign. As per WhoScored.com again, the 28-year-old is averaging just 1.8 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per outing. However, his average WhoScored rating for the season is an enviable 7.62. So he probably will come back in on Saturday, but some of the flak Gomez has gotten is unfair.
