"A shadow of himself" - Jamie Carragher fears Liverpool could offload attacker amid poor run of form
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has said that the Reds could replace Luis Diaz at the end of the season if his form doesn't improve soon.
Diaz was included in Jurgen Klopp's starting XI as Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday, December 23.
The Colombia international struggled to make any sort of impact on the left wing. He landed zero shots on target, completed just 13 passes with an accuracy of 77%, lost five duels, and had just 25 touches. To make matters worse, he was substituted in the 68th minute with a suspected knee injury.
Carragher said that Diaz has looked like a shadow of his former self in recent weeks. He said (via HITC):
"Diaz just looks a shadow of himself since those knee injuries he had last season, obviously he had family problems this season. I really feel that Diaz especially on that left side has got to have a really big second half of the season or I’m sure Liverpool will be going into the market in the summer because it just feels that, with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino going, they haven’t really replaced them in terms of quality."
Diaz has scored five goals in 22 appearances across all competitions this season. However, he has failed to find the back of the net in his last seven league appearances.
The 26-year-old has struggled with injuries and his parents' kidnapping in October could be a massive reason for his slump in form. But the Reds will be hoping their No. 7 can bounce back soon.
"Up there with Steven Gerrard" - Ian Rush hails Liverpool superstar after Arsenal draw
Liverpool legend Ian Rush reckons Mohamed Salah has become one of the club's greatest-level players, on par with Steven Gerrard.
Salah was on target once again with an excellent strike to help the Reds secure a 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Saturday. This took his Premier League tally to 151 goals, one past Michael Owen's haul to solidify his spot in the top 10 goalscorers of all time.
The 31-year-old has now scored 202 goals and provided 87 assists in 330 appearances across all competitions. He has also helped the Merseysiders win seven trophies, including the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Rush told the Liverpool ECHO (as per Rousing the Kop):
“He’s incredible. He’s a very professional man and he wants to play every game. To score 200 goals is incredible, 150 in the Premier League. If you go from the start of the Premier League, I put Steven Gerrard up there and Mo Salah is up there with him and goes down as Liverpool’s best players.”
Salah has had a strong start to the season and will be aiming for his third Golden Boot. He has netted 12 goals and registered seven assists in 18 league appearances so far this term.