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It's no secret that Liverpool's weak link at present is their defense; Steven Gerrard has improved in recent weeks as a defensive shield, showing increased responsibility and willingness to better control his wanderlust, but it's awfully hard to be a shield for a defensive unit that's been unsettled and nauseating for most of the winter. Injuries have obviously played a part in their struggles, with each of Mamadou Sakho, Daniel Agger, Jose Enrique, and Glen Johnson serving lengthy spells on the treatment table.
Which makes the GOALS MORE GOALS JUST MORE PLEASE approach understandable enough, even if, as we've seen in the past two weeks from Luis Suarez, the collective scoring rate isn't quite sustainable. Thankfully there looks to be some respite--at least in theory--on the immediate horizon, as Glen Johnson is back in the squad for Swansea's visit and Mamadou Sakho isn't far behind:
"Glen has been back training. According to him, he has felt as good as he has done for a long time - which is great. He has looked very good in training and he'll come into the squad. Lucas Leiva is recovering very well but not in the squad. Sakho is still probably a week or so away, but he's back on the field now with the rehabilitation team and working well.
"Apart from that, the squad is pretty much the same as it has been. Jose Enrique has been out in America. We're looking to try to put an end to his injuries this season. We have sent him out to get some specialist advice on that. But he's nowhere near playing yet."
Good news for Lucas as well, it seems, though the bit on Enrique is a little concerning and confusing. Earlier in the month we heard news that he would be back by the time March rolled around, but with only a week left in February now--and the player stateside for treatment--that looks to be far from a reality at this point.
On the whole it's encouraging news, however, and having Glen Johnson back fresh on the heels on Daniel Agger's own return undoubtedly improves the quality at the back. Whether or not that leads to fewer goals conceded in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but the prospect of having a semi-competent defense to go along with the firepower up front is an encouraging one.
