Revealed: Liverpool’s desperate measures in USA to cope with defensive crisis
Liverpool’s backline has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese currently.
Virgil van Dijk only recently returned to training after his commitments with the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Andoni Iraola confirmed that Jeremy Jacquet will be eased into the thick of the action as he continues to get to grips with his new surroundings.
The likes of Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are injured, which just sums up the size of the task in hand for Iraola.
Mor Talla Ndiaye, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Luke Chambers have featured at the heart of the backline in pre-season so far, but the Reds need more numbers – in training and in games – to be able to function as planned.
Liverpool coach Tommy Elphick fills in as a defender
Before his retirement in 2021, Tommy Elphick was a reliable central defender and a leader in English football.
However, his playing days are well past him, with the Englishman currently serving as Iraola’s assistant coach.
And according to the Daily Mail, Elphick had to fill in as a central defender during Liverpool’s pre-season camp in the USA to make up the numbers.
Andoni Iraola's assistant Tommy Elphick joined in training sessions during Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States to make up the numbers amid a severe shortage of centre-backs
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— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) August 4, 2026
Honestly, we can see the funny side of it as his boots would have been catching cobwebs and it would have been nice for him to have a kick about.
But in all seriousness, this is such an embarrassing situation for a club of Liverpool’s stature.
Granted, no one can prepare for an injury crisis. But Liverpool walking into a new season knowing full well two of their central defenders have zero Premier League experience between them, while the other is never far away from an injury, is just negligence of the highest order.
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