Liverpool head coach, Jurgen Klopp believes the disruption in the Reds’ frontline has contributed to forward Mohamed Salah’s barren run this season.
Salah, who has failed to score in five of his last six appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, boasts just seven Premier League goals at the halfway stage of the season – compared to 15 he had a year ago.
Liverpool’s attacking threat was reduced by injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, who have both been sidelined since last October.
Roberto Firmino has not played since before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar because of a calf problem.
Darwin Nunez recently missed two games with a hamstring issue, while January signing Cody Gakpo played through the middle in his absence.
Asked if Salah had suffered from the constant changes in Liverpool’s attacking line, Klopp said ahead of his side’s FA Cup tie with Brighton on Sunday: “Yeah, of course. It was a well-drilled machine, the front three. Everything was clear about what we were doing. It has not been helpful. Everyone suffers from that.
“It is not cool. We cannot expect just to be back to our best and win 5-0 and go to the next game. We have to work hard, nobody wants to hear it, but we have to do it. And then, in two or three weeks, we will have other options and can mix it up.
“We never played with a No 9 before. Even when Sadio [Mane] was there, he was dropping [deeper] in moments, but that isn’t Darwin’s game. He wants other balls, and he is really a handful there. If they would all be in, we could build something, but we have not been able to do that yet.”