Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hails 'important' signing of Steven Caulker to bolster defensive options amid injury crisis

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hailed the acquisition of loan signing Steven Caulker as 'very important' as he battles an injury crisis that left the club with no fit senior centre-backs last week.

Caulker has joined from QPR for the rest of the season, with his loan spell at Southampton coming to an end, and he will go straight into Liverpool's squad for the clash with Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Klopp was forced into action having lost all his senior centre-backs to injury last week, and was forced to field the recently recalled Tiago Ilori and Jose Enrique at the heart of defence in the 2-2 FA Cup draw at Exeter.

Steven Caulker poses in a Liverpool training top after completing his loan move from QPR

The 24-year-old defender trained with his Liverpool team-mates for the first time on Tuesday evening

Caulker climbs high to win a header as he prepares for Liverpool's clash with Arsenal on Wednesday

Caulker is available to face the Gunners at Anfield on Wednesday after Liverpool completed the loan deal

Caulker plays a pass to new team-mate Brad Smith as manager Jurgen Klopp watches on

With Martin Skrtel facing a further four weeks on the sidelines and Dejan Lovren out of the clash with Arsenal, Klopp had been left sweating on the fitness of Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho.

Caulker trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Tuesday evening at Liverpool's Melwood headquarters ahead of the Premier League clash with the Gunners. 

Speaking on the club's website, Klopp described Caulker's arrival on loan as 'very important for us.'

'In our situation, four weeks ago we didn't know we'd have a problem with centre-halves because they were all in the race. At the start of the season, Joe Gomez was also in the squad, so a fifth centre-half - and then the situation changed completely.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has secured the loan signing of Caulker until the end of the season 

Liverpool landed QPR defender Caulker, who cut short his season-long loan at Southampton

Klopp was left sweating on the fitness of centre back duo Mamadou Sakho (centre) and Kolo Toure

'Now, we've had to make a decision whether we wanted to get another player for the position. The situation is Martin Skrtel is not available for around about the next four-and-a-half weeks, five weeks. 

'Then we have the problem with Dejan – it's only a little muscle injury. I think he'll be available in one to one-and-a-half weeks. Then you have Mama with a little knee issue – he can play, but it's not perfect and you cannot bring him three or four times in a row throughout the season. 

'And it's the same for Kolo and so would mean we are always in this situation, do we have enough or not? So we thought, 'Yes, good idea'.

'We looked for Premier League experience because in this short time, you need that experience.

'And we've found it with Steven Caulker. We are absolutely convinced that Steven is the best solution for us.

Caulker was greeted by new team-mate Jon Flanagan as he arrived at Liverpool's Melwood training ground

Flanagan, who is nearing a first-team comeback, and Caulker have been team-mates at England Under 21

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman conceded he was happy to cut Caulker's loan short when Liverpool came calling.

'We spoke about his situation on Tuesday evening,' Koeman said.

'Steven came in in the summer before we signed Virgil van Dijk because we had long-term injuries and he was a back-up.

'He didn't play a lot and normally we have more defenders for that position. I am not to stop his opportunity to play for Liverpool.' 

Portuguese defender Thiago Ilori (pictured) partnered Jose Enrique at the back against Exeter

Christian Benteke (right) challenges Emre Can during training on Tuesday evening ahead of Arsenal clash

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson (centre) leads the players on a jog alongside James Milner

Caulker completed his medical in London and agreed terms with the club ahead of the midday deadline to be eligible to play on Wednesday evening.

The 24-year-old has endured a frustrating time this season. He only made eight appearances for Southampton since leaving Loftus Road in July, the most recent of which was in the 6-1 defeat by Liverpool in the Capital One Cup quarter-final on December 2.

His game time in the Barclays Premier League has been even more limited, as he has made just one start and come on as substitute twice.

Caulker started and scored for England in his one senior appearance for his country against Sweden in 2012

Caulker left Spurs in July 2013 to join then Premier League new boys Cardiff for a fee in excess of £8million

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman conceded he was happy to cut Caulker's loan short at the club

Caulker began his career at Tottenham and featured 28 times during Andre Villas-Boas' first season at the club in 2012-13 before moving to then newly promoted side Cardiff City for a fee in excess of £8million.

The centre-back featured for Great Britain during the 2012 London Olympics and won his one and only England cap in November of that year, when he started and scored in the 4-3 defeat by Sweden in Stockholm.

Caulker's Anfield move represents the fifth loan move of the defender's career, having spent time at Yeovil, Bristol City and Swansea, where he worked with former Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. 

Caulker left Cardiff after only one season but suffered another relegation from the Premier League with QPR