Liverpool would ideally make several changes to its starting team against Southampton midweek with the Carabao Cup offering the chance for rotation. But Arne Slot has some tough choices to make.
Players like Harvey Elliott, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa could all be in line for significant minutes having not played much lately while Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Darwin Nunez should come into the side. But while there are options in the Liverpool attack and midfield, Slot is not exactly spoilt for choice at the back.
"Let's see what happens on Wednesday," Van Dijk told reporters including from Liverpool.com at the weekend. "I don't know, maybe the manager has to be creative. The injuries that are there we have to accept and deal with. Unfortunate, of course, but hopefully, things will change, and players will come back as soon as possible in the best way."
Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas are all injured at the moment while Andy Robertson was sent off against Fulham and therefore faces a one-match ban. But the Scotland left-back, as well as being suspended, might also have an injury.
"That moment, the first one where he gets the kick on the knee — hopefully it isn't a big injury," Van Dijk said. "That's a dangerous one and in the moments after it happened, it is not easy for him or all of us. But we are there for him like always, and he has been so good for us, and he will be still for us. Hopefully, no bad injury, and he can be back in the team and be good again."
Without four out of the eight senior defenders on its books, if Liverpool wants to rotate at the back ahead of facing Spurs at the weekend, it might have to come up with a creative fix. Against Fulham, it was Ryan Gravenberch at center-back and Cody Gakpo as a wing-back, and that could be replicated.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot. (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
If Endo was to drop in at the back alongside Van Dijk, Tyler Morton could play in front of them as the number six. That would leave Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, perhaps, at the full-backs. Alternatively, Morton could move to right-back to allow Alexander-Arnold the night off, with Endo in midfield.
To play with one fewer defender, Liverpool could drop Endo into the middle of a back three with Van Dijk and Gomez on either side and then have, say, Cody Gakpo and Chiesa as wing-backs. Or there is young left-back James Norris who could come into the team in place of Robertson.
Jarell Quansah is likely to start. He could play at center-back with Morton to his right and Van Dijk and Gomez to his left. That would allow Endo to play in midfield with Mac Allister and Elliott, with the main drawback there simply the fact that Van Dijk would have to play when he would ideally be given some time off.
While each option is slightly makeshift, Liverpool should still have enough quality on the field to win the game. The defense might be a bit patchwork but the players in front will all be high-level and desperate to impress, with a semi-final place there for the taking.