Liverpool have struggled to maintain their high standards this season with months of inconsistent performances and injuries to key players plaguing their ability to challenge both domestically and in Europe.
The Reds were quickly knocked out of every opportunity to add another trophy to their illustrious collection and are now struggling in the Premier League too, with the side currently nine points adrift of a Champions League qualifying spot inside the top four with just seven games remaining.
Indeed, Jurgen Klopp has had to contend with a number of injuries this season, as the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita have all sustained long-term injuries at various stages of the campaign, and now the German coach has been dealt another blow ahead of the final few weeks.
The Liverpool manager took to his pre-match press conference ahead of the Nottingham Forest clash at Anfield to reveal that Roberto Firmino has suffered a muscle injury and will miss at least three fixtures:
“Unfortunately, Bobby picked up a muscle issue a little bit,”
“We will see how long that takes. It’s not too serious but he is definitely out for tomorrow and next week we have two more games, I would say they are impossible as well and then we will see. We have to take it day by day.”
Whilst the Brazilian's contributions will be sorely missed over the upcoming week of congested fixtures for the Reds, it is a massive opportunity for Cody Gakpo to settle into Firmino's famous false nine role over the remainder of the season.
Is Cody Gakpo the rightful Firmino heir?
The versatile Dutchman has had a slow start since his arrival on Merseyside in January, considering he was one of the most prolific forwards in Europe with 13 goals and 17 assists tallied up for PSV Eindhoven in all competitions in the first half of the season.
However, it would be unfair to criticise Gakpo's impact as he has had to settle into a team that was already struggling for consistency in their performances, and Klopp's strong desire for the player to take on a slightly different role than he was used to in the Netherlands has perhaps hindered his ability to hit the ground running.
Despite earning most of his experience on the left flank over his career so far, the £120k-per-week ace – hailed "impressive" by journalist Declan Carr – has been mostly deployed in the centre-forward role for Liverpool and started to make the role his own in the monumental 7-0 victory over Manchester United last month.
His pressing skills in the three-man press against the Red Devils' defence helped him to become massively disruptive out of possession and seek out pockets of space in progressive areas of the pitch, which led to him finding the back of the net twice with his opener in the seven-goal thriller unravelling his opponents.
This snippet of Gakpo's style of play at Anfield mirrors that of Firmino, who has become famously renowned for his selfless yet impactful style of play in the false nine, which has been a key component to the outstanding success that Liverpool have achieved in the last half a decade.
Now with Firmino unavailable for selection and out of contract this summer, it is the perfect chance for Gakpo to make the role his own and mould his skillset to become a real force of nature in the position ahead of next season.
Not only that, but Gakpo's Netherlands team-mate Virgil van Dijk revealed that Firmino has been working with the newly-signed player to help him to understand the important role:
"It’s a very difficult position to play, but he learns from one of the best each and every day with Bobby Firmino,"
"The winter isn’t an easy time to come to a club but Cody is settling in very well. He has to keep going, keep the confidence, keep the belief. I think he will be fine for this club. He’s a fantastic player."
With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Gakpo will completely clone Firmino's difficult-to-grasp position or instead put his personal touch on the attacking threat with a less selfless approach in front of goal than his predecessor.
Either way, it is a bittersweet time for Liverpool supporters as they bid farewell to a club legend after nine years of impeccable service and welcome the next generation of talent who will hopefully bring more success to the red side of Merseyside.
