Jordon Ibe's Injury Highlights Rapid Progress but Jon Flanagan Can Make His Case

Liverpool's phenomenal weekend win over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City was all the more impressive as it came without a number of regular starters, including Mamadou Sakho in defence, Daniel Sturridge left on the bench in attack and Jordon Ibe missing from the midfield.

The young winger has been in excellent form in 2015, but the Reds suffered disappointment with the news that he will miss the next month with a knee ligament injury, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

It will mean a setback for his fledgling Anfield career and will give an opportunity to others—Lazar Markovic came back in against City—but the disappointment for the club and fans at the news of Ibe's absence only serves to highlight just how quickly his stock has risen and his rapid progress as a top-flight player.

Return and Impression

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As recently as January 10, Ibe was still a Championship player. Spending part of the season on loan with Derby County, he had impressed at times at the Rams as they built a promotion charge, scoring five times in 20 games in the process—but he did not always play the full game or even start every week in the second tier.

A recall in January by Brendan Rodgers came as a surprise to some, not knowing at that point that Rodgers had earmarked him for the right side of midfield and regular game time—and his impact for Liverpool was immediate. Bleacher Report UK noted Ibe's stirring up excitement with Liverpool fans:

"

Jordon Ibe has got Liverpool fans excited, and rightly so say the guys at @thisisanfield http://t.co/GdS1nv2oZk pic.twitter.com/DrGfUZja0g

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) February 11, 2015"

Ibe made fleeting sub appearances against Aston Villa and West Ham United, having a couple of notable moments in both games, before putting in a stellar performance in the Merseyside derby and playing the full 90 minutes. He also featured from the start in wins over Besiktas, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton before coming off injured in the second-leg defeat against Besiktas last week.

Perfect Attributes for 3-4-3

Playing wide in the Reds' attack-minded 3-4-3, Ibe has plenty of traits which suit the role entirely. He is fast, direct when running with the ball, likes to attack space and is confident when running at defenders. Going the other way, though not a natural defender, his youthfulness and need to impress see him working extremely hard to close down spaces, get back into position and make his share of challenges.

Aside from playing on the flank, Ibe is also able to play either over on the left or in either of the two roles behind the striker. He hasn't needed to do so yet, as Liverpool have a number of options there, but it's another possibility for Rodgers to make in-game changes nonetheless.

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From a youth player with fleeting appearances over the course of 18 months to an almost guaranteed starter over the course of the last four weeks, Ibe's transition has been tremendously fast.

Consistency and continual progress will, of course, be key, and he will suffer time out of the team and downturns in form almost inevitably, but if he comes back to aid the final five weeks or so of Liverpool's season, his ability and shock factor to opponents could help tilt the balance of the top-four chase Liverpool's way.

Flanagan's Return and Likely Roles

As ever, one injury is another opportunity. The Liverpool Echo report also indicates that Steven Gerrard is due to return in a week or so, while Jon Flanagan, out all season so far after playing a key role at left-back in the title fight last year, is also back in full training. The aforementioned report details were also shared by Pearce via Twitter:

"

Jordon Ibe out for 3 to 4 weeks with LCL damage. But Jon Flanagan back in full training this week and Steven Gerrard close to comeback. #LFC

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) March 2, 2015"

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Flanagan has habitually played on either side at full-back for the Reds so it remains to be seen where he fits into the 3-4-3. While he could obviously operate in the wing-back role, he is far less mobile, offensive-minded and capable of beating defenders than the likes of Markovic, Ibe or Alberto Moreno. Javi Manquillo has struggled for game time of late, and Flanagan may see another area as his best bet.

Playing on either side of the back three is not somewhere fans will have seen Flanagan perform yet, but as the likes of Emre Can has shown, being a natural centre-back is not a prerequisite for excelling there in this system. More important are aggression, covering ability behind the wide player, the capacity to pass into midfield and being able to cope with an aerial threat.

Bar the last asset, Flanagan offers plenty in all those key areas and could well be seen by Rodgers as another tactical alteration to bring solidity to the back line and depth in that area. When Liverpool go more defensive-minded in the same shape, as they do late in games at times, Flanagan would obviously also be able to slot in as the right-sided player essentially as a right-back in a back five.

Getting back to full fitness will be his first priority, and in all fairness, given the form of the team and the time of the season, 2014-15 may be an almost total non-event for the defender, but his presence in the side was surprisingly beneficial last term, and his ability to contribute should not be written off.

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