Liverpool 'not the same team without key men'
- Published
Liverpool “don’t look the same team” when they rest key players and the depth of quality in their squad remains a concern, says former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin.
Manager Jurgen Klopp left Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane on the bench for Wednesday’s Champions League opener against AC Milan and the Reds fell 2-1 behind before recovering to win 3-2 at Anfield.
"Van Dijk is brilliant the way he reads the game and it’s pretty obvious they miss him when he’s not there,” Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Liverpool looked a bit shakier without him.
"Divock Origi is a good back-up player but they don’t look the same when he’s there. He is not quite the standard of players like [Roberto] Firmino. The Liverpool fans are great to him, but it is a step down from what they’ve got.
"Eventually it catches up with you, as we saw with Van Dijk's injury. If it is Mo Salah, it will catch up with them. I don’t think they could survive without those two, in terms of being able to win the Premier League or Champions League."
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