"He is back to his best" - Jurgen Klopp labels Liverpool defender as club's 'winner of the season' after recent performances

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for defender Joe Gomez for stepping in at multiple positions for the club this season. Speaking after the side secured a berth in the final of the Carabao Cup, he hailed the 26-year-old for his versatility.

Klopp said after the Reds beat Fulham in the semi-final second leg on January 24 (via press conference):

"Definitely having a rest is good. Three months is too long, especially for Robbo. When it happened, it was really shocking. We knew we had Kosti but we had an awful lot of games coming. Then Joey stepped in and that's really positive. He's the winner of the season for sure, he is back to his best.

"We had solutions without knowing we will have them to that extent. We had to adapt, formation-wise point of view. We can always deal with a few injuries. A few more and you might have to change formation, that's what we did."

Gomez has impressed for a Liverpool side ravaged by injuries to their defenders. The Englishman, a natural center-back, has played as cover at both full-back positions. Andrew Robertson's long-term injury in November on international duty saw Gomez step into an unfamiliar role at left-back, but he has impressed.

The 26-year-old has made 29 appearances across all competitions this season, getting two assists. He is already close to matching his tally of 31 games from the 2022-23 campaign.

Robertson returned to the bench in their 1-1 draw against Fulham in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday. However, Klopp stuck with Gomez for the full 90 minutes in the clash.

The result saw Liverpool move on to the finals after they had won the first leg 2-1. They are set to face Chelsea in the final on February 25 at Wembley Stadium.

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Liverpool receive massive boost with three players close to return from injury

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp announced that they are anticipating the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, and Dominik Szoboszlai back from injury. After the side's 1-1 draw against Fulham, he issued an update on the trio's health ahead of an FA Cup fourth-round clash against Norwich City.

He said (via press conference):

“There’s a chance for all of them but we will really have to see. It’s touch and go.

Alexander-Arnold has been out of action since suffering a knee injury against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup earlier this month. Szoboszlai, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury in the win over Newcastle United on New Year's Day and has not appeared since.

Robertson made the bench against Fulham for the first time after a lengthy injury layoff. However, he did not make an appearance and is still doubtful for Liverpool's fixture against Norwich on January 28.