As Joel Matip awaits a scan on an ankle injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night, Mark Lawrenson is unsure whether Liverpool will sign a centre-back.

Klopp confirmed that the injury to Matip is 'serious' after the match, which adds to fans' concerns.

The situation in defence has long since been mooted as a major reason behind the Reds' drop off in form, with long-term injuries to Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez compounded by the injury record of Matip.

Fabinho missed out on the match due to a minor muscle issue, with the Brazilian filling in as a makeshift centre-half in his colleagues' absence.

 Matip

"The Americans have got to give the say-so, give the yes. They have obviously given him fantastic backing and nearly every player he signed he has improved," Lawrenson told The Football Show.

"It is a case of who you go and get, that is the thing. When they signed Van Dijk, it looked a lot of money, maybe 15m more than they should have paid. You look at it now and you could probably get double.

"I just can't see it, and when you look around, there is a scarcity of defenders and certainly a scarcity of top-class ones. The ones there are would be absolute fortunes.

"The players that people mention are getting on a bit as well."

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