Liverpool's injury crisis reaches humiliating low as assistant coach forced to train with team

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.

Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesLiverpool FCLiverpool is facing an injury crisis in defence, with preseason training seeing some interesting changes, including the move to use a coach in place of players.Liverpool coach Tommy Elphick had to take part in training for the Reds in preseason(Image: (Photo by Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))Liverpool's depth in defence is a real concern heading into next season, as Andoni Iraola was forced to use one of his coaches to fill numbers in a preseason training session.It comes as the Reds return from the preseason tour of the US, which came with plenty of positives and negatives for the manager to learn from. One of the main issues he was faced with came just minutes into the opening match of the tour, as Joe Gomez was forced off through injury against Sunderland.With Jeremy Jacquet managing a minor injury concern, the team was short on centre-backs, as Virgil van Dijk was back in Merseyside instead of in the States, while Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from his own injury issues.That required Iraola to be clever with the options at his disposal in the Liverpool roster that did make it to America, leaning heavily on the academy stars available.Ifeanyi Ndukwe has shone in his time in the side, while versatile defender Luke Chambers has also been called upon to partner him in the backline.However, such are the problems that Liverpool faces in the backline that the training sessions before the match required some coaches to step in and fill positions.The Daily Mail reports that Iraola's assistant, Tommy Elphick, was required to wear a bib and join in with the sessions to help make up the numbers that were lacking at centre-back.Tommy Elphick is one of Andoni Iraola's assistants at Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Rhianna Chadwick / AFP via Getty Images))It's a move that highlights the humiliating lack of options available to the manager, who has only managed to get ten minutes out of a single senior centre-back in three friendly matches so far.Despite that lack of depth, recent reports have claimed that there is currently no plan to add another defender to the roster in the final month, though it remains to be seen if that stance will change.A return for Van Dijk, as well as a full introduction for Jacquet, should ease the burden on the backline, though Gomez's absence beyond the first game of the season means options will remain thin on the ground.With Leoni's return timeline unclear, after almost a full year out of action, there are concerns that another injury crisis like this could severely impact the season ahead.Considering the physical exertion needed to play Iraola's style of play, depth could be the key to success across all competitions in the next few months.Should things go awry, then preseasons has been an example of what could come for Liverpool.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCLiverpool injury newsAndoni Iraola