Forgotten Liverpool man now ‘cranking up training’ in anticipation of ‘crunch period’ – James Pearce

Liverpool’s momentous 1-0 win over Manchester City will have been marred somewhat by news of Diogo Jota’s long-term injury.

It’s an injury so bad Jurgen Klopp refused to put a timeline on it, though the harsh reality of this development is that it does create opportunities for others to shine in his place.

Fabio Carvalho should be the man seizing his chance with both hands, though the club will no doubt consider the possibility of also starting Curtis Jones in the left midfield role, a position he has previously thrived in, and returning star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“Another player on the comeback trail for Liverpool is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been gradually cranking up the intensity of his training at Kirkby after three months out with a torn hamstring,” James Pearce wrote for The Athletic. “Klopp has used him on both flanks previously.”

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It’s a big loss for us, though there’s an element of fortune in that our biggest remaining games before the World Cup are meetings with Napoli at Anfield and a visit to North London where we’ll be facing Tottenham.

That’s not to discount our other challenges, of course, and this Liverpool side will need to prove that is capable of showing consistency after a potentially season-defining victory over increasingly bitter rivals Manchester City.

The mantra from within has always been that we’ll look to provide a chance to a man on the inside before looking to the market and, whilst we’re deeply disappointed to see Jota struck by injury once more, we’re excited to see who will step up in his place.

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