Jurgen Klopp Says Joe Gomez May Require Surgery on Leg Injury

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says defender Joe Gomez may require surgery on his leg injury.

Gomez has been missing since December, when he fractured his left leg in the Premier League clash with Burnley. The problem came at the worst possible time for the centre-back, as he had developed a brilliant partnership with Virgil van Dijk.

After saying a return against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on February 9 for Gomez was "not realistic," Klopp said the 21-year-old may have to go under the knife to resolve the issue, per Andy Hunter of the Guardian.

"It is not exactly going how we want—that's how it is," said the Liverpool boss. "He needs more time. We will see exactly how we do it. There were different moments we thought we could do this or that but it will take time. We can not say more."

When asked whether surgery would be required, Klopp said "it is possible, probably."

Gomez's issue is part of a recent defensive crisis for the Reds. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been sidelined with a ligament problem, while on Wednesday against Leicester City, they were without the suspended James Milner, who has previously done a fine job filling in at full-back.

That meant Jordan Henderson was forced to fill in at right-back against the Foxes; the cohesion Liverpool have showed for long parts of the season in defence was missing, as it was in the 4-3 win over Crystal Palace.

Football journalist Leanne Prescott believes a prolonged absence for Gomez represents a massive issue for Liverpool:

While Gomez is a young defender who has always been highly rated, some injury issues had stunted his progress in recent years. In 2018-19, he seized his chance.

Operating alongside Van Dijk, the team appeared impenetrable at times. Gomez's ability to cover behind with his pace and time tackles made him an ideal partner for the commanding Dutchman, while his composure on the ball also helps Liverpool when playing out from deep positions.

What will be a concern for Klopp is the fact that at this early point in Gomez's career, he has already been besieged by injuries. As strength and conditioning coach Simon Brundish highlighted, the England international has missed a lot of football through fitness problems:

Liverpool have a tremendous chance to win the Premier League, as they head into this round of fixtures five points clear of champions Manchester City. Klopp takes his team to West Ham United on Monday, with City hosting Arsenal a day earlier.

At the start of the campaign, few would have anticipated Gomez would be such a crucial part of a massively successful side. At this stage, it feels as though a long layoff for him would hinder Liverpool's chances of chasing domestic and European glory in 2019.