Lallana may come up short in W Cup bid
liverpool — He was a lock-in at Liverpool, and a player that was integral to England’s midfield at the start of its road to the 2018 World Cup.
Now, Adam Lallana might be wondering where he fits in at his Premier League club. And whether he’ll even make it to this year’s tournament in Russia at all.
Amid an injury-ravaged season, the 29-year-old Lallana started his first game in two months in Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday. He played the full 90 minutes — for the first time all season — as Juergen Klopp carefully managed his resources with his team all but through to the quarterfinals after a 5-0 win in the first leg.
Lallana showed some neat touches and turns, which is his forte, and created one of the best chances of the night when his cutback was skewed wide by James Milner early in the second half. Otherwise, he didn’t offer much threat on a flat evening at Anfield.
With Liverpool now into the last eight of the Champions League and in second place in the Premier League with nine games left, don’t be surprised if this is the last time Lallana starts a match for his club this season.
“The time will come for him, 100 per cent,” Klopp said ahead of the Porto game, insisting the midfielder is still a key part of his plans. When, though? The depth of competition in Liverpool’s midfield is so strong these days, even with Philippe Coutinho — an attacking midfielder like Lallana — no longer around following his January move to Barcelona. —