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It is finally here!
This is what it feels like to wake up to a day when Liverpool are in action in the Premier League. After two weeks without a football club, we can all get excited about tonight’s clash against Leicester City.
While there will be understandable joy that there is no more international football until March, the last fortnight has seen more Liverpool players injured, be it in the long term or hopefully at least in the short term.
There will be no Joe Gomez for the foreseeable future, and Jordan Henderson joined Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk goes to the treatment table. And to top things off, Mohamed Salah was diagnosed with Covid-19, which means it’s unclear if we’ll see him in action again over the next week.
However, some good news emerged, with Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Thiago Alcântara photographed at the new AXA Training Center in Kirkby. Could any of them appear this weekend? We’ll have to wait and see.
With the team selection on the air at the moment, our writers at Liverpool.com have taken a look at the possible options that Jurgen Klopp could go with.
This is what they had to say.
Mark Wakefield
Despite how happy I was to see Thiago, Fabinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain training this week, I highly doubt that either of them will start against Leicester. On the bench? There are many possibilities, but Klopp is unlikely to risk them with an intense match schedule ahead.
There are question marks all over the field, so let’s start on defense. Fortunately, Alisson Becker is available and automatically joins the team, but it’s the last four where it gets interesting. Without Alexander-Arnold, I have chosen James Milner at right back, who is capable of doing the defensive work, but the lack of attacking threat is a concern, I must admit.
Then, as a central defender, it’s time for Joël Matip to start a rare back-to-back league game and teammate Nat Phillips. Once again, the lack of pace to deal with Jamie Vardy is a concern, but hopefully the midfield can help play its role in that regard. That leaves Andy Robertson to take his left back position, provided he has recovered from an apparent hamstring problem while with the Scotland national team.
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In midfield, and Gini Wijnaldum is a nailed starter when in shape these days, and I’ve opted for Curtis Jones and Naby Keïta to accompany the Dutchman. Leicester is likely to defend in depth and play for the fast break, so having energy in the middle of the park, as well as the creativity to take down a tough defense, will be vital.
And we go to the front, and without Salah to call it is almost certain that Diogo Jota will have another league start. That then leaves the question of whether Roberto Firmino will be kept in the team, with Sadio Mané being one of the first names on the team sheet. It is true that the Brazilian has not been at his best, but given his ability to unlock defenses, in addition to being disciplined defensively, he has to start.
Mark XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Milner, Phillips, Matip, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Jones, Keïta; Jota, Firmino, Mané
Dan Morgan |
I was going to change form and gear to Mark’s for the sake of balance, but the more I think about it, the more sense this team makes to me. Here’s the thing for me: What the heck are Liverpool doing with Fabinho in this game, even if he’s fit? If you play him today, you will almost certainly play him and Matip against Atalanta and then against Brighton next weekend.
That situation for either player is far from ideal and I think Klopp will try to avoid it at all costs. So my theory is that we go to Matip and Phillips today, and to Fabinho and Rhys Williams on Wednesday. Therefore, I think we will need two projections in front of the two centrals.
I would risk guessing that it will be Wijnaldum and Keïta. In fact, I like Keïta better, he can carry the ball in a way that brings Liverpool onto the pitch, something they will need in abundance without Van Dijk.
Ahead make my decision. I think Liverpool will want to ask Leicester 3-4-3 an open question, is it going to hit or twist? And with Jota and Xherdan Shaqiri occupying the flanks from an advanced position and defending in that 4-4-2 form that we saw so prominently against Manchester City.
Dan XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Milner, Phillips, Matip, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Keïta, Jota, Shaqiri, Firmino, Mané
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