Darren Bent names player Jurgen Klopp should play against Sheffield United | OneFootball

Former Tottenham and England striker Darren Bent wants Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to throw Ben Davies in for his debut against Sheffield United at the weekend.

Bent says this could be the perfect opportunity for Davies to come in and play 90 minutes against Sheffield United, given that they are currently sat bottom of the Premier League table.

Liverpool are bereft of centre-back options heading into the game, with Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez and Fabinho all out through injury.

Speaking to Football Insider, Bent responded to a question about whether or not Davies should come in at centre-back against Chris Wilder’s side. “He needs to play him now, he’s been there a couple of weeks.

“He was brought in to help them and now he’s going to have to play him.

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“Maybe this is the game, against a Sheffield United team not in great form, he can get 90 minutes under his belt and get a clean sheet.”

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Jurgen Klopp does not have too many options at his disposal ahead of this game, which means that Davies could be in with a good chance of getting a runout. Although, Nat Phillips was the player called upon to come off the bench when Henderson went off injured in Liverpool’s last game, which could suggest that he is best-placed to start against Sheffield United.

20-year-old Ozan Kabak started the game against Everton and could be the other centre-back in the pair, unless Klopp decides to give him a rest and hand Davies a start. Kabak started the previous game against Leicester, with Liverpool conceded five goals in those two games. This means that Kabak could potentially benefit from being taken out of the limelight for a week, allowing Davies to come in and show what he can do.

Even if Liverpool do not see Davies as part of their long-term future, giving him a few games between now and the end of the season could generate value. If he puts in some decent performances in the Premier League/Champions League it could alert any interested clubs to his potential availability, which could allow Liverpool to cash in on him for profit down the line.