Emre Can's Liverpool Return Throws Up Plenty of Options for Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool have been boosted by the return from injury of midfielder Emre Can ahead of Friday's trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the German's availability providing plenty of options for Jurgen Klopp.
Per the club's official website, Can is back in full training after being absent since hobbling off in the EFL Cup tie at Burton Albion last month.
That was his only start of the season so far, after returning to pre-season training later than most of the squad due to his international involvement with Germany at Euro 2016—where he started the semi-final against France for Joachim Low's side for his only appearance in the tournament.
Can joined up with the Liverpool squad in Los Angeles in late July, working separately with new head of fitness Andreas Kornmayer as he built up his levels ahead of the campaign.
The 22-year-old played the final 23 minutes at the Emirates Stadium in the opening-weekend win over Arsenal, but he is yet to start a Premier League game this season. It seems highly unlikely he'll start at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
In his absence, Jordan Henderson has been used as the deepest midfielder in Klopp's new-look three-man midfield. The Liverpool captain has been flanked by new signing Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana, playing in a deeper role than previously in his career. That trio have started every league game so far.
Henderson's success as the holding player has been mixed, with his display in the 2-0 defeat at Burnley in particular showing his unsuitability to the role. However, his performance against Leicester City on Saturday proved he's adapting to the role and improvements were clear to see.
But there's still that sense that Henderson would be better off playing in one of the box-to-box roles occupied by Wijnaldum and Lallana. One of his strengths is his running and energy, with a good ability to arrive into the box and finish from there.
It's that position in which Henderson excelled during the second half of the 2013/14 season, adding goals to his game and driving Liverpool forward as Brendan Rodgers' side adopted a 4-3-3 shape similar to that which Klopp has gone with so far this season.
Henderson will no doubt continue at the base of the midfield triangle at Chelsea, but next week's EFL Cup match at Derby County again offers Klopp the opportunity to bring Can in and get the German in the side in the position he looks to make his own this season.
Once Can returns to fitness and presumably fills that holding role, Klopp is unlikely to drop his captain and therefore one of Lallana and Wijnaldum would be the one to miss out. The former Southampton man has been in excellent form of late, so the Dutchman would be the likely one at this stage.
Can's versatility
The interesting part in all this is how we assume Can will immediately slot in as the holding player, yet it is a role which the German has never actually played in England before.
Whenever he's played in midfield for Liverpool previously, it's been as part of the two in a 4-2-3-1 formation. When used in a midfield three for Germany, as per the Euros semi-final, he was one of the box-to-box players, not the holding player.
His only previous experience as the holding player in a three-man midfield was during the 2013/14 season with Bayer Leverkusen. Can played a multitude of positions for the German side in that campaign, but he lined up in defensive midfield on 15 occasions, per Transfermarkt, although not all 15 of those were in a three-man midfield.
So Can's experience in the role is limited, much like Henderson's, but he has all the attributes required to make it his own. He's physically capable, can break up play to protect the back four, play passes into the attack, and also emerge from deep to drive through midfield himself.
Can is clearly a key player for Klopp and having his compatriot available will add another dimension to Liverpool's spine. The hope will be that, eventually, the triangle of Can, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren can build an understanding to protect new goalkeeper Loris Karius—thus providing an almost entirely new base for the side.
That Liverpool have enjoyed a strong start to the season so far without Can and Karius, and while missing Matip or Lovren through injury in all but one league game so far—away to Tottenham Hotspur—points to good coaching from Klopp and his staff on the training ground.
It's also a sign of the much-improved squad depth this season; picking a so-called best XI for Liverpool now is almost impossible. Ask 10 fans what theirs would be and you could quite well get 10 different responses.
Midfield options
One thing Klopp spoke frequently of in pre-season was tactical flexibility, highlighting this upon the signing of Wijnaldum. "He can play a few positions for us and players that come through the Dutch system usually have a good tactical understanding and flexibility," the manager explained. "That’s really important."
Indeed, it's something the manger discussed when he was unveiled last October too. "I do not only have one vision," he said, per the Liverpool Echo—something he's now proved with his switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 this season.
There's no reason Klopp might not throw a surprise and switch back to 4-2-3-1 on occasion this season, perhaps when looking for more solidity in midfield in tough away games. Can and Henderson as the double pivot was something that began to look good last winter until the England international suffered another injury in the run-in.
Last season at Stamford Bridge, in the opening weeks of Klopp's reign, the boss actually opted for a narrow three-man midfield that included James Milner alongside Can and Lucas Leiva. The same trio lined up together in the 4-1 win at Manchester City.
Those two impressive away wins saw Philippe Coutinho and Lallana line up behind Roberto Firmino in a narrow front three and their energy provided the base for the victories.
This season, a change to Klopp's preferred 4-2-3-1—the shape which he enjoyed so much success with during his seven years at Borussia Dortmund—would provide the chance to deploy Firmino in the No. 10 role behind Daniel Sturridge, or Divock Origi, in attack.
It would mean one of Lallana, Coutinho or Sadio Mane missing out, though. Again, this shows the depth and quality of options available.
Next steps
Klopp could surprise and bring in Can on Friday, but it seems more likely the German will be eased back in with a start at Derby next week instead. You can imagine that's also the ideal game to give Karius his competitive debut.
What happens after that will be interesting, with games against Hull City and Swansea City next up before Manchester United arrive at Anfield on October 17.
If Liverpool were already looking good, the prospect of a fully fit Can at the base of midfield adds further excitement for the Anfield faithful.
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