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The news that our tough-tackling Slovakian rock Martin Skrtel has been ruled out of action until Christmas, will, for some of our Premier League rivals have been taken as good news given his fantastic early season form.

However, how many other clubs in the top flight could replace such a vital cog in the team with a choice of two international centre-backs? Surely not many. Certainly not Manchester United or Arsenal. Chelsea? Well maybe.

Obviously everybody feared the worst when big Martin went down in a crumpled heap following an innocuous fall against Manchester City on Sunday. But with cultured Danish international Daniel Agger now back to full fitness after nearly a season on the sidelines, and former skipper Sami Hyypia still a more than reliable performer, Rafa Benitez has the welcome headache of replacing class with class.

Yet this hasn’t always been the case at Anfield in recent times. And in the Spaniard’s first two-and-a-half seasons at the club, this certainly wasn’t the case, as he was forced to deploy members of his squad in unfamiliar positions at times when cover was thin on the ground.

But this season, Rafa has the strength in depth to cope with any injury blows that may surface, and whoever he selects to partner Jamie Carragher against Wigan at Anfield in ten days time, he’ll be confident that the team won’t be going out any weaker.

But with Hyypia ineligible for the group stage of the Champions League following UEFA’s new ruling on the minimum number of homegrown players that must be selected in each squad, Benitez will be desperately hoping that Agger can make it through to Christmas at the very least without falling foul of any new injuries.

Do you think we’ll miss Skrtel, or can Agger and Hyypia fill the void? And who do you think Rafa will turn to?

Picture: Taken from Google Images

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