Injured Liverpool will have to show champions courage to face Jamie Vardy and Brendan Rodgers – John Aldridge

They say it never rains, but it does rain and somehow Liverpool’s injury list got even worse during the international break.

Joe Gomez’s knee injury was for the worse and when the news of Mo Salah’s positive coronavirus test came along, along with tense muscles from Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson, the coach must have wondered how many mirrors he has broken lately.

I don’t remember too many spells like this where so many problems happened all at once and I don’t think it can depend on the training methods because everything is done scientifically these days.

I think with the way Liverpool play and the intensity required for what Jurgen Klopp wants, a fair pre-season is vital and obviously it wasn’t possible this time around.

Over the past couple of years Jurgen has done it brilliantly with the boys, but the way last season ended and the quick turnaround along with all these matches in such a short time has caused this I think and it’s not just Liverpool that are suffering. .

The reality is that many fans couldn’t care less about international football these days, but other than that I can’t understand why they had to have so many matches, including friendlies, at a time like this.

The Premier League and Champions League are much bigger these days than international matches and many fans don’t want to see their players involved and would rather see them rest so that they are fresh for their clubs.

Liverpool are one of the best teams, so a lot of players are involved, but you’re watching the games just hoping they don’t get injured as much as anything else.

We just have to hope Robbo isn’t that bad because otherwise you could potentially watch Milner play on the left and Neco Williams on the right with Matip and Phillips in the middle.

This is a completely different back four than what you would say is our strongest and it doesn’t bode well where you are playing against Jamie Vardy and co.

I have to say that I think he is the best center forward in English football at the moment.

I think he’s moved on from Harry Kane now with the way he’s matured, I’ve seen him in a few games this season and I think he’s been outstanding.

His cunning, his racing prowess and where to take people not only create goals for him but also for his teammates and this is one of the main reasons why Leicester is having another good season.

I can relate to him a little bit because he had to graft and only hit the highest level towards the end of his 20s like I did, but he uses his nous and experience so well.

I managed to play and keep scoring goals until the end of my thirties by making the right runs and taking the defenders where they don’t want to go and with the pace he still has, as well as his finish, Vardy is a really dangerous player and the Liverpool will do it. I must be banged on Sunday night.

He always seems to score against us too, so we’ll have to defend really well to keep him out.

As things stand at the bottom, we may have to try to outrun opponents until we have some of these players back.

You have to admire what Brendan Rodgers has done since leaving Anfield just over five years ago.

I’ve always been a fan of his and thought he did a great job at Liverpool, he just couldn’t see us over the finish line in 2014 despite playing brilliant football and maybe he was just a bit of inexperience at the time, particularly looking back at that Chelsea game when we just needed a draw.

But he did a good job at a difficult time for the club and he has a hand where we are now when you look at some of the players who were involved with him and Klopp.

He did well in Scotland for Celtic and when you look at this Leicester team, he has sold the likes of Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell for a lot of money just for them now they actually look like a stronger team so that’s the sign of a good coach.

He has done a great job and has faith in the players so it will be a very tough match for Liverpool over the weekend and we will have to show why we are the champions to get the result we want from it.

* I was delighted to see Tranmere Rovers take another brilliant win on Saturday when they scored two goals in injury time to secure a 4-3 win at Port Vale.

The guys who took charge of the keeper, Ian Dawes and Andy Parkinson who played with me years ago, did very well and gave them some momentum.

If they keep doing what they’re doing and get good results, the owners may have to give them a chance.

You see things like this happen in football sometimes when a temporary fix suddenly starts to seem like the right answer and, for what they have done so far, the guys guarantee a chance to see if they can continue.