Liverpool were handed another big blow to their season this week, with it confirmed that Jordan Henderson will be sidelined until April through injury, with the captain requiring surgery on his groin.

The Englishman joins Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip on the sidelines, with Jurgen Klopp looking desperately low of defensive options, but it could also be argued that without Henderson, they are lacking any natural leaders on the pitch.

Fortunately for the German manager, whilst Henderson is only just beginning his road to recovery, James Milner looks to be back fit, with it confirmed earlier this week that the experienced midfielder is now back in training.

The 35-year-old continues to be a regular in this Reds team due to his superb fitness levels, which led teammate Georginio Wijnaldum to label him a "machine" back in 2018.

When you consider the inexperience in the Reds defence, with 26-year-old Andrew Robertson likely to be the oldest to feature in upcoming fixtures, Klopp will need a leader on the pitch to help organise things, otherwise, you fear that the Reds will struggle to turn their form around.

Milner has made 16 appearances in the Premier League this season, with just one assist to his name, resulting in a disappointing 6.5/10 average rating.

However, he is clearly someone that Klopp feels he can rely upon, and he has produced excellent displays at times this season, including in the 3-1 win against Spurs where WhoScored rated him 7.46/10 for his performance.

The former Manchester City man, who earns £140k per week with the Merseyside club, looks to be the ideal candidate to step up in the absence of Henderson, especially as he has been the club's vice-captain since joining in 2015.

 

Hopefully, when he makes his full return from injury, he can fill the leadership void in this Liverpool team and help to turn the recent poor form around.

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