Liverpool transfer news: Jurgen Klopp's assistant hints at no new centre-backs in January

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has suggested the Premier League champions will not sign a new centre-back in January.

The Reds will be without Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk for the remainder of the season after the duo sustained serious knee injuries.

Fabinho, Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips have deputised in the heart of Liverpool’s defence in recent weeks.

Many fans have called for the club to go into the transfer market in search of a new centre-half next month.

But Lijnders has hinted that Liverpool may look for another way around the problem.

“I think the individual is very important, but I think what separates us from other teams and what I feel is really different is we have a strong culture and we have a clear identity of play, and that even with losing individuals we stay focused on this collective idea,” Lijnders told the club's official website when asked about injuries and recruitment.

“There’s a saying that without good players there’s no collective, but without a collective there will never be success. If you stay focused on improving our way of play, encouraging each individual to take more initiative, to attack more, to evolve the team, then I feel that there is not a back-up plan, it’s focusing on our way and our idea.

“It’s always like this but some devastating moments create life-changing moments for other players because we have so much faith in our young blood, in the players we brought up, our own players.

“These moments where you lose a top, top player automatically creates a big chance for a young player, because we invest a lot of time and we have a big commitment to them to be part of our squad.

“What I’m trying to say is: I feel really the best back-up plan is the academy. If the academy is right and there’s a fluid process between the academy and the first team, the best back-up plan is always young players because they never let you down – never, never.”

Liverpool will be looking for their eighth win of the Premier League season when they take on Fulham on Sunday.

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