Supporters are likely to have been struck by three thoughts when the Liverpool team to face Tottenham Hotspur was confirmed on Sunday afternoon.
Assessing the squad list, Kopites would have firstly been delighted, albeit a little surprised, to see Luis Diaz handed his first start since October following a serious knee injury.
A further look at Jurgen Klopp’s selected line-up and the sight of England Under-21s internationals Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott named in midfield together also earns attention. ‘That’s a bold call’.
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Then beyond that starting XI, something else becomes clear. ‘Where on earth is Thiago?’
The Spaniard had only returned from a two-month injury lay-off a few weeks ago. After four substitute appearances since returning to fitness, he wasn’t pictured in training on Friday. His absence from the matchday squad, along with the sight of the 32-year-old limping around Anfield on Sunday, seems to suggest another stint on the sidelines is underway.
At the start of the season, Liverpool’s strongest midfield was, at least on paper, universally agreed upon. Jordan Henderson x Fabinho x Thiago Alcantara. Next question, moving on.
Yet as the season wore on and the Reds continued to struggle, it became clear that his ageing trio were no longer the answer collectively. The Spaniard has avoided the scrutiny of either of his two team-mates, having still performed well for Klopp’s side when the decline of Henderson and Fabinho grew increasingly concerning.
As a result, with a midfield revamp incoming this summer, their status as starters next season, despite improved performances in Liverpool’s recent six-game unbeaten run, remains under question.
Yet Thiago’s latest absence earned its own frustrated groans from a fanbase. As talented as the Spaniard is, you just can’t rely on him to stay fit.
Boasting 28 appearances in all competitions this season, 22 of his outings have come from the start. Meanwhile, he has started 14 of his 18 matches in the Premier League. With only five games of the league season remaining, he is already guaranteed to return his worst total of league appearances since his move from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020.
Thiago’s patchy injury record prior to his switch to Anfield was well-documented. It is something Liverpool have to accept, believing it to be worthwhile against the quality he provides when he is fit.
But he has now missed 18 games through injury this season, having missed 22 matches last year and needed pain-killing injections to struggle through the Champions League final.
He would also miss 20 matches in his first season with the Reds through injury and illness. Such absences are not a new phenomenon. Only time will tell if his latest, currently unspecified, lay-off results in him bettering either total.
Having turned 32 last month, Thiago’s injury record isn’t going to suddenly improve now. Now heading towards the final 12 months of his Liverpool contract, it begs the question what role exactly does he have in the Reds’ future?
Klopp’s recent implementation of an ‘inverted full-back’ had already seen Thiago limited to substitute duty prior to his latest lay-off. Only the German will know if he had planned to implement the Spaniard as one of the double sixes or double 10s from the start in his newly-adopted formation anytime soon.
These frequent absences leave him on the verge of ‘luxury player’ status; a star you cannot rely on to be available, but when he is it’s an added perk. So are the 30 games Thiago could be fit for worth the 20 games he misses? It's a difficult question and one you don't envy Klopp having to weigh up.
Regardless of your take on his role, Liverpool’s midfield revamp this summer will build a long-term engine-room that outlives the Spaniard at Anfield. Whether he becomes the latest high-profile player to leave the Reds on a free transfer at the end of his contract or earns an extension in the meantime remains to be seen, though recent reports even link him with a return to Barcelona this summer.
Meanwhile, Liverpool continue to be linked to a plethora of midfielders ahead of the transfer window opening at the end of the season themselves. Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte became the latest subject of speculation over the weekend, while Mason Mount is believed to be the Reds’ primary target after they withdrew from the race to sign Jude Bellingham.
As a result of such surgery, Liverpool’s midfield of the future is not yet built. But Klopp is already using the final weeks of the current campaign to plan for next season.
“It’s about fine-tuning it and that is what we are still doing,” he would admit ahead of facing Nottingham Forest last month. “This season, we don’t know where it will end up but after this season there is another season.
“And that is already in my mind as well. We have to build on what we do now and what we learn now.
“We learned a lot which we didn’t want to learn. Maybe we now have an opportunity to learn a few things we really can use. That’s how I see it.”
His implementation of Jones and Elliott together against Spurs is seemingly one such building step with the pair, along with the injured Stefan Bajcetic, very much part of the club’s future.
Klopp would say as much after handing the two England Under-21s internationals their first Premier League start together in midfield against Southampton last season.
“We have Harvey and Curtis,” he said at the time. “After the last game (against Southampton) I had both together and said to them ‘This is only the start’. And they were like ‘Yes, with us on the pitch’. It’s really nice.
“You see them in training and they are flying because of the opportunities… So to have these boys around for this transition is important.”
Sunday’s victory over Tottenham marked only the third time they have started together in midfield for Liverpool. Yet, really it was the first time since that Southampton win, with the only other outing together the 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in October when, in a 4-4-2 formation, Elliott was fielded out wide with Jones partnering Thiago in the middle.
For the pair, this is very much still the start. Both would impress in moments against Spurs, with Jones opening the scoring early on and Elliott playing a part in the build-up to both the second and third goals.
Their passing accuracy against Spurs stood out with Jones completing 59 of his 64 attempted passes (92%), and Elliott 35 of his 39 (90%). Yet they won just one tackle between them as Tottenham fought back and ate away at Liverpool’s 3-0 lead as they swiftly lost control of proceedings.
As a result, Klopp turned to experience, with Jordan Henderson replacing Elliott shortly after the hour-mark and James Milner coming on for Jones in the 86th minute. The scores were 3-1 when the former change took place and 3-2 at the time of the latter, with the Reds’ vice-captain booked when conceding the free-kick that created the Tottenham equaliser.
It is clear both youngsters still have much to learn, but they are no longer just supporting acts to the elder statesmen in the squad. With Liverpool boasting a squad in transition, they are deservedly moving up the pecking order.
It has been an important season for both players, with Jones finding form in recent weeks after a campaign wrecked by injury to fight his way into Klopp’s starting XI, while Elliott’s 42 appearances equals his career best for a campaign.
Of course, they aren’t the answer for Liverpool in the short-term either. At least not yet, but they are part of the Reds’ long-term future. The summer transfer window will be used to bridge the gap, with both Jones and Elliott relishing the prospect of fresh competition in midfield, and both are players Klopp can build his next squad around.
Liverpool’s victory over Tottenham has reiterated exactly why a midfield revamp is needed. From the youthful starting pairing to the way Spurs took control of proceedings despite such a hefty deficit. From the absence of Thiago to experienced substitutes not helping see the game out.
Such surgery will take place in the summer and not a moment too soon. A look over this campaign and many would argue it is a year too late. It is business the Reds have to get exactly right if this disappointing transitional period is to last just one season.
But at least for Jones and Elliott it has helped them take their next steps. While many of their team-mates slowly edge towards the end of their Liverpool careers, this is still just their start.
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