Liverpool’s depth at back gets test
Jürgen Klopp completely revamped his Liverpool midfield in the summer by getting four new faces through the door, but might a lack of defensive depth prove their undoing this season? Virgil van Dijk’s absence didn’t do them much harm last time out when they dismantled Aston Villa 3-0, but his suspension – for the red card he received in the previous game at Newcastle – has been elongated by a further game, meaning Joe Gomez and Joël Matip could be paired together again at Wolves. Gary O’Neil hardly boasts the sharpest attack in the league, but his team are now finding goals a little easier to come by, with certified big man Sasa Kalajdzic finally slotting in after last season’s injury. Liverpool’s Europa League commitments kick in next week, so the Saturday lunchtime kick-off isn’t quite the curse it might otherwise have been for Klopp after an international break; his players will need all the rest they can get. Dominic Booth
