Liverpool's assistant manager has hinted the club are unlikely to move for a new defender in January as they prefer to put their trust in the youth academy.
The Reds are thread-bare at the back, with Joel Matip the only recognised central defender fit for action.
Fabinho has stepped in superbly alongside his injury-prone teammate, but Jurgen Klopp has been forced to rely on fringe men as cover.
Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams have both been called upon to fill the void, with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez ruled out for much of the season.
But there seems little probability Klopp will dip into the transfer market in January to ease their defensive crisis.
Lijnders emphasised how Liverpool's back-up plan was not based around individuals but more a "collective idea".
"It’s always like this but some devastating moments create life-changing moments for other players because we have so much faith in our young blood, in the players we brought up, our own players," he told Liverpool's official website :
"These moments where you lose a top, top player automatically creates a big chance for a young player, because we invest a lot of time and we have a big commitment to them to be part of our squad."
This has also been put to good effect in the absences of several other key Liverpool stars.
In addition to Curtis Jones's starring role in midfield, Neco Williams has deputised well for Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Caoimhin Kelleher has established himself as the club's No.2 goalkeeper.
There were also debuts for Leighton Clarkson and Billy Koumetio during Wednesday's dead rubber fixture against Midtjylland.
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Liverpool run the risk of leaving themselves incredibly light in defence if either Matip or Fabinho are sidelined again, but Lijnders has plenty of faith in their young understudies.
"What I’m trying to say is: I feel really the best back-up plan is the Academy," he added. "If the Academy is right and there’s a fluid process between the Academy and the first team, the best back-up plan is always young players because they never let you down – never, never."
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