Emre Can’s Liverpool Return Throws Up Plenty of Options for Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool have been boosted by the return from injury of midfielder Emre Can ahead of Friday’s trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the German’s availability providing plenty of options for Jurgen Klopp.

Per the club’s official website, Can is back in full training after being absent since hobbling off in the EFL Cup tie at Burton Albion last month.

That was his only start of the season so far, after returning to pre-season training later than most of the squad due to his international involvement with Germany at Euro 2016—where he started the semi-final against France for Joachim Low’s side for his only appearance in the tournament.

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Can joined up with the Liverpool squad in Los Angeles in late July, working separately with new head of fitness Andreas Kornmayer as he built up his levels ahead of the campaign.

The 22-year-old played the final 23 minutes at the Emirates Stadium in the opening-weekend win over Arsenal, but he is yet to start a Premier League game this season. It seems highly unlikely he’ll start at Stamford Bridge on Friday.

In his absence, Jordan Henderson has been used as the deepest midfielder in Klopp’s new-look three-man midfield. The Liverpool captain has been flanked by new signing Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana, playing in a deeper role than previously in his career. That trio have started every league game so far.

Henderson’s success as the holding player has been mixed, with his display in the 2-0 defeat at Burnley in particular showing his unsuitability to the role. However, his performance against Leicester City on Saturday proved he’s adapting to the role and improvements were clear to see.

But there’s still that sense that Henderson would be better off playing in one of the box-to-box roles occupied by Wijnaldum and Lallana. One of his strengths is his running and energy, with a good ability to arrive into the box and finish from there.

It’s that position in which Henderson excelled during the second half of the 2013/14 season, adding goals to his game and driving Liverpool forward as Brendan Rodgers’ side adopted a 4-3-3 shape similar to that which Klopp has gone with so far this season.

Henderson will no doubt continue at the base of the midfield triangle at Chelsea, but next week’s EFL Cup match at Derby County again offers Klopp the opportunity to bring Can in and get the German in the side in the position he looks to make his own this …

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