Jurgen Klopp can no longer ignore Liverpool wildcard option to help solve latest problem

Jurgen Klopp could only watch on in disbelief - bordering on incredulity - as Liverpool sunk to their latest loss.

As Wolves knocked the ball around and the Molineux crowd relished the dying embers of a crucial victory, the Reds supremo waited for the death knell to sound.

Klopp only knew too well his side deserved to be handed a third successive Premier League away loss. What makes it worse is that Kopites were barely stupified.

Liverpool have endured a horrific campaign. Nobody could have predicted it after going so close to achieving an unprecedented quadruple last term. Now they’ve come to terms with the mediocrity they’ve persistently been served up. The loss at Molineux saw Klopp’s men drop to 10th and further surrender a chance of qualifying for next term’s Champions League.

It scarcely gets easier, either. The Reds welcome bitter rivals Everton to Anfield in the Merseyside derby. While the Toffees languish in the relegation zone, they’ve had a much-needed fillip. The arrival of Sean Dyche as manager has already had a profound impact. In his first game, Everton recorded a fine 1-0 win over leaders Arsenal.

Dyche’s immediate impression has restored confidence in the Blues. They’ll now make the short jaunt across Stanley Park buoyed they can earn a result.

Indeed, Klopp has a substantial period - especially in footballing terms - to rectify the raft of issues the Reds have in training this week. The German has previously bemoaned the busy fixture but this will be the third successive week his side have no midweek game. He can have no excuses.

Defensively, the problems are cataclysmic. Liverpool's rearguard was haphazard from the moment Joel Matip hacked away a long ball seconds after kick-off against Wolves. The Reds were put to the sword by a team who'd managed to score just 12 goals in their opening 20 games.

The midfield has come under bombardment from the opening day of the campaign. Yet the meek return in the top end of the pitch shouldn't avoid scrutiny. Goals scored have been at a paucity, with Liverpool finding the back of the net just twice in the past five games. Both have come via Harvey Elliott - and in FA Cup games.

Mo Salah's bagged 17 goals in all competitions yet finds himself firing blanks of late. The Egyptian's barren streak hit five matches at Molineux.

Cody Gakpo's failed to net in six games since his £37 million. There are some mitigating circumstances; the main one being he's still acclimatising to life at Anfield while he's featuring in a team that continues to founder. But the 23-year-old plundered 13 goals for PSV before his move, as well as three at the World Cup for Holland. Gakpo's squandered some decent opportunities but in the previous two games, he's mustered just one shot on goal.

Darwin Nunez, on the other hand, continues to lack composure despite chances falling his way fairly consistently. The summer signing from Benfica has scored 10 times for Liverpool yet spurned his latest gilt-edged opportunity against Wolves.

Meanwhile, there has been a dearth of goals from midfield throughout the campaign. Elliott has five but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Stefan Bajcetic have just one apiece. Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Fabinho and James Milner have not bagged at all.

Perhaps, then, Klopp is neglecting an option that can augment Liverpool's threat in front of goal. Since the restart of the season after the World Cup, Fabio Carvalho's not been handed a single minute of Premier League action. He did miss the 0-0 draw against Chelsea due to a minor injury but has found himself very much on the periphery of things otherwise.

Carvalho did impress against Wolves in the 1-0 FA Cup victory last month. However, the Portugal under-21 international was an unused substitute during Liverpool's latest trip to the Black Country.

Carvalho moved to Anfield Fulham last summer for a fee that could reach £7 million and signed with an eye very much for the future. But after helping the Cottagers reach the Premier League in emphatic style in 2021-22 - recording xxx goals and xxx assists - first-team chances were also earmarked.

Aged only 20, he's still in the infancy of his career. Performances, at times, have demonstrated he's not fully attuned to Klopp's methods. Yet even if performances have been indifferent, Carvalho has carried a threat in the final third.

In his maiden campaign, Carvalho has scored three times in 18 appearances. One of those was against Manchester City when he kept his cool to deftly finish despite having a challenging opening 45 minutes. And crunching the stats further, his minutes-per-goal ratio is the fourth-best in the Liverpool squad. Carvalho's played a total of 634 minutes for Liverpool and has netted once every 211 minutes. Only Salah, Roberto Firmino (both 153 minutes) and Nunez (157 minutes) have bagged more regularly when on the pitch.

Speaking about Carvalho's lack of game-time last month, Klopp insisted there was 'nothing personal' behind his decision and 'everything is good'.

Carvalho started the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in September. In truth, an appearance from the outset is unlikely in the reverse clash at Anfield. Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota are likely to be absent again as they build towards match fitness, while Luis Diaz is still to return to team training. Attacking options will again be scant.

Yet if Liverpool require a goal from the bench, Carvalho's someone who can't be ignored.