Jurgen Klopp could surprise AC Milan in the Champions League by signing Liverpool for £36m

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Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip have been implacable in defense so far this season.

The Reds conceded only one goal under their control (coming from a free kick against Chelsea) and kept three clean sheets in their first four games.

Matip and Van Dijk have a proven partnership and have a phenomenal track record alongside each other, averaging 2.5 points per game in 35 Premier League games, conceding just 0.63 goals in the process.

In this format, with a crucial Champions League match at Anfield, it would be criminal to drop either of them on paper.

However, Jurgen Klopp will be looking at the bigger picture and with Matip’s injury record, the German will be wary about having the Cameroon international play back-to-back matches within three days.

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Besides, the Liverpool manager also has two exceptional backup options at his disposal namely Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate who are considered to be some of the best young midfielders in world football.

Replacing Matip with Gomes or Konaté wouldn’t be a huge discount.

However, even if Klopp makes the decision to drop Matip, he will still have a headache over choosing either Gomez or Konate.

Given Gomez and Konate’s recovery, Klopp might prefer the latter.

Gomez has yet to play a competitive game since picking up an injury against Manchester City in November last year. He looked bright in pre-season and at times even sharper than both Matip and Van Dijk.

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However, it would be risky to put him in the squad for a crucial Champions League showdown given that he is not quite well yet.

Konaté, on the other hand, is slightly ahead of Gomez’s recovery after playing the last few games of the season for RB Leipzig and also taking part in the European Under-21 Championship.

While Gomez is more of a tune-up to Liverpool’s system, Konate has also had time to settle in and adjust to life at Liverpool throughout pre-season.

The French central defender has looked promising in matches during Liverpool’s run-up and Klopp has shown he’s not afraid to throw players in the deep end: look at the confidence he has shown in Harvey Elliott this season, giving him three games in a row against strong opposition in the Premier League.

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Anfield will return to Konate. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic left out, the young central defender is likely to face compatriot Olivier Giroud, who started his career in Milan with two goals in his first two Serie A matches.

It will be a tough match, but it is time for Liverpool to put themselves on the line.

Klopp needs to know he can count on the 22-year-old when the going gets tough, and Konate will no doubt relish the opportunity to play.

And if things get tough, Klopp will know he can always count on a reliable combination of Matip and Van Dijk with just one simple replacement.

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