"He’s not good enough for me” – Gabby Agbonlahor claims Liverpool midfielder does not deserve to play for the club
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has said that midfielder Curtis Jones is not good enough for Liverpool.
Jones has struggled with fitness issues this season and has managed only 11 appearances across competitions for the Reds. The 21-year-old has so far failed to make an impact in his limited chances this season.
Speaking about the Englishman, Agbonlahor told the Mirror:
“You bring in Curtis Jones into the team, he’s not good enough for me for where Liverpool want to go, he’s not really taking his chance in midfield."
Jones came through the Reds academy and has made 84 senior appearances for the club, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists.
Gabby Agbonlahor on Curtis Jones: “He’s not good enough for me for where Liverpool want to go.” [@MirrorFootball] https://t.co/L741Kt9Izs
Agbonlahor also shared his thoughts on the Merseysiders' midfield struggles this season, highlighting their reliance on aging stars Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, and Fabinho as the primary issue. He said:
“Henderson’s legs, Fabinho’s legs, Thiago’s legs have all gone. When you play how Liverpool play, you need players to be younger or have more speed, more legs.”
Jurgen Klopp's side have been disappointing this season, especially in the Premier League. They are ninth in the table, 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and 21 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool were also eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Manchester City. However, they are still competing in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp provides fitness updates on players ahead of FA Cup clash
The Reds will face Brighton & Hove Albion away in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, January 29. Ahead of the game, Klopp provided an update on Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino, Virgil van Dijk, and others. He said (via Liverpoolfc.com):
"Closer, yes, of course closer. Luis takes longer but Diogo, Bobby and Virgil, a couple of weeks and [then they] can join training, and then we have to see how quick it goes from there."
Next up, we travel to Brighton for the @EmiratesFACup fourth round 💪 https://t.co/8kf4Xr4QEz
He also spoke about Arthur Melo, who has been out of action since October, as well as about Fabio Carvalho and James Milner. Klopp said:
"I would say pretty good, so he’s running a lot. Two or three weeks, I think, maybe until he can join team training. But it looks good for a while already. So it was now a long injury and he needs a proper build-up. He was not a part of team training or whatever."
He added:
"Fabio Carvalho is obviously out. He has a little thing. Did anybody tell me that he can train today? I don't think so, but maybe he can train today but he will not be 100 per cent ready for the weekend. Millie was not in training for one day but he's fine – there was no injury reason. Nat has a proper, proper cold."
Brighton recently beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Premier League and the Reds will hope to exact revenge on Sunday.