“Keep him fit”- McAvennie believes Liverpool are missing key midfield star

Frank McAvennie claims that Liverpool are missing Thiago Alcantara

Frank McAvennie claims that Liverpool are missing Thiago Alcantara in the middle of the park. Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former West Ham United striker gave his opinion.

They’re missing Thiago. When they signed him I thought ‘wow’. I really liked the player. Then he got injured. They’ve got to keep him fit because he’s a talent, he makes them tick. He directs everything for Liverpool, he does everything with pace.

He also believes that the Spaniard is a much stronger option for the Reds than James Milner and Jordan Henderson. There could hardly be any dispute against McAvennie’s statement.

Thiago has established himself as the heart of the Liverpool midfield. It is true that the 31-year-old makes everything tick in the middle of the park. But he is now out injured.

The midfielder picked up a hamstring injury during the opening game against Fulham, earlier this month. He was ruled out for four to six weeks and is likely to remain on the sidelines for another few weeks.

And his absence is clearly being felt. Jurgen Klopp’s side drew against Crystal Palace and lost against Manchester United the following weeks. There was no one to pull the strings like the 31-year-old in the middle of the park and it clearly showed.

Despite bouncing back with a win in the last game against Bournemouth, a new midfielder is needed. Klopp cannot rely on Thiago completely even when he returns.

The fixtures next two months are too congested to allow the 31-year-old to start every game. Squad rotation will be key and for that, squad depth is needed. Liverpool currently lacks that in their midfield department.

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It remains to be seen if any new midfielder is signed before the deadline day. Fans will hope that Thiago can return quickly back to action as they miss their maestro in the middle of the park. Hopefully, the 31-year-old can see the rest of the season without any injury.