This article is part of Football FanCast's Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players' fitness.

Joel Matip will miss Liverpool’s clash with Red Bull Salzburg, and the likely switch to Joe Gomez will place more pressure on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive abilities.

What's the word?

Matip will not make Wednesday’s battle with the Austrian outfit after picking up a knock against Sheffield United, Paul Joyce has confirmed.

Given how well the Cameroonian has played in 2019 it makes sense not to take any risks, and so Gomez is expected to fill in against Salzburg and possibly against Leicester, depending on the extent of the injury.

Gomez though has one weakness in his game, and it will force Alexander-Arnold to focus slightly more on his defensive duties, thus affecting the side’s ability to create chances.

Alexander-Arnold has to help

So what is that weakness? Well, for all Gomez’s qualities, which include excellent recovery speed and fantastic ball-playing ability, the England international does tend to lose his man at the far post sometimes. Quite simply, he just switches off.

It happened at the Emirates in that crazy 3-3 draw back in 2017 when he allowed Alexis Sanchez to run straight past him and score, and again a few months later when he lost Johann Berg Gudmundsson. Even some fans have noticed it over the years.

Given that Salzburg wonderkid Erling Haaland stands at 6 foot 4, it would be ne surprise to see the Austrians look to expose Gomez by standing balls up to Haaland at the back post. The Englishman averaged just 1.5 aerial wins in the league last term, while Matip is winning a whopping 6 per game this season.

So, it will be up Alexander-Arnold to just provide that little bit of extra support for his compatriot, and perhaps not push forward quite as much as Liverpool’s full-backs usually do.

This will of course harm the Reds’ creativity, which comes mostly from the flanks, as well as the fact that they will lose Matip’s marauding runs and incisive passes, something Ian Wright heaped praise upon after the clash at Bramall Lane.

The injury to Matip may seem a simple straight swap to Gomez, but it could actually effect the Reds more than you would think, especially down that right flank.