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Diogo Jota is in line to make his full Premier League debut for Liverpool, as Sadio Mane will miss Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa, with Jurgen Klopp set to make eight changes.
The Reds withdrew from the League Cup due to a penalty shootout loss to Arsenal on Thursday night after Klopp rotated his team for a second clash with the Gunners in four days.
Ahead of the October international break, Liverpool visit Villa Park looking to maintain their 100 percent league record, against another team that has won all their games.
Villa has so far subjected Sheffield United and Fulham to the sword, but Sunday will be a much tougher test for Dean Smith’s new team, which could include Chelsea borrower Ross Barkley for the first time.
Klopp’s selection is restricted by one injury and two cases of COVID-19, but he should still be a very strong XI taking to the field in the West Midlands.
Injuries and illnesses
The big news ahead of the match is that Sadio Mane has teamed up with Thiago to test positive for COVID-19 and is now in self-isolation.
Therefore, neither Mane nor Thiago will be available on Sunday, and the pair will likely return to the side for the Merseyside derby on October 17, if all goes well.
Also out for this clash are Joel Matip, Kostas Tsimikas and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, although Jordan Henderson is now back in full training after a thigh injury.
However, Henderson should not be expected to start, with Klopp explaining that his call-up to the England team for the meetings with Wales, Belgium and Denmark at Wembley is designed to work for the captain to “fit the game.”
Beyond that, the Reds are in good health, and one of the key positives is that none of the first-pick starters set to play in the League Cup on Thursday night suffered setbacks.
Jota, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were among those who joined a recovery session at Melwood on Friday, and although there is a tight shift, the trio could start at Villa.
Liverpool XI vs. Aston Villa
Thiago’s absence saw Klopp simply go back to a tried and tested midfield of Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and Naby Keita for the 3-1 win over Arsenal in the league, and since Henderson is still out of date, that should the case. again on Sunday.
But Mane’s retirement puts the Reds in new territory and could give Jota a great opportunity to prove himself shortly after his £ 45 million arrival from the Lobos.
Provided there are no complications after the League Cup tie, a back quarter from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Van Dijk and Andy Robertson should line up ahead of Alisson on defense.
And supported by the trio of midfielders Fabinho, Wijnaldum and Keita it could be an offensive unit of Salah, Jota and Roberto Firmino, with the Portuguese as a replacement for Mane.
It will be a test of Jota’s credentials, but Klopp and his team believe he is capable of stepping in and acting early on, having scored his first goal for the club last time in the league:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gómez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita; Wrong, Jota, Firmino
However, it could be that Mane’s absence triggers a change in Liverpool’s setup, with the possibility of switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
That would be largely inspired by the impressive form of Takumi Minamino, who could take the place of Mane on the left flank instead of Jota.
The defensive line will remain the same anyway, but the midfielder most likely to quit if the system changes is Keita, despite his own streak of showing as of late.
With Fabinho and Wijnaldum as double pivot, Jota could take on tasks on the right, with Minamino on the left and Firmino as number 10, changing with the Japanese at all times.
Salah’s move to the front would be due to the need for greater diligence in secondary roles, with a three-man offensive midfield from Jota, Firmino and Minamino one of the most relentless possible:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gómez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Jota, Firmino, Minamino; Salah
It is doubtful that Klopp will change things too much before the international break, consistency being the key in the Premier League, and so it is more likely that Jota for Mane is the only change on the side that beat Arsenal on Monday.
But Mane’s illness highlights new obstacles the manager will face as this strange campaign unfolds, and at some point he may be asked to be creative in pursuit of victory.
