Liverpool's luck may have turned slightly as they head into their Saturday clash with Sheffield United in the Premier League. The tough news of Virgil van Dijk's ACL injury has set the Reds back in their quest to hold onto their historic title. Whilst Fabinho put in a solid shift at centre-back against Ajax, there's no telling whether his confidence will carry him through the rest of the season.

This would be a huge worry for Jurgen Klopp if he was forced to rely on Adrian in goal, but his troublesome reign in goal could be coming to an end. In his recent press conference, the German has refused to rule the Brazilian out of Saturday's game, handing a huge boost to the fans.

"Look, in my situation, I don't want to rule anybody out until someone tells me and so far, nobody told me," Klopp said (via The Independent) "Maybe I should have listened better!"

A huge relief for Liverpool

Adrian stepped up the plate following Alisson's injury news, his first Premier League performance of the season was nothing short of a disaster. The Spaniard shipped a humiliating seven goals at Villa Park, breaking Liverpool's three-game win streak. The club's huge 7-2 loss goes down in history – the Reds are now the first top flight title-holding side to concede seven since Arsenal in 1953 (via Goal.com).

Despite a narrow 1-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday, it was Fabinho who shut out the preying Dutchmen with a last-ditch clearance off the line after Adrian was left stranded.

Even Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Everton will have come as a huge disappointment. The Toffees remain top of the table, three points ahead of their local rivals. Whilst the gap isn't something to worry about at the moment, it's easy for a team to pull away once they find their groove – something Liverpool themselves can vouch for after finishing 18 points clear last season.

Klopp's hopeful comments could see Alisson return to the action and help make up for the loss of van Dijk in defence. If the Reds can seal a win against Sheffield United, it will lift morale and see the reigning champions return to their usual, dominant displays.