Sadio Mane has been named on the substitutes’ bench for Liverpool’s pivotal Premier League clash at home to Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old has returned to Merseyside after Senegal’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, and goes straight back into Jurgen Klopp‘s matchday squad.
Mane missed the decisive penalty in his country’s quarter-final defeat to Cameroon on Saturday, but told Klopp of his desire to feature as the Reds look to turn around their poor run of form.
Liverpool have lost their last three games, and defeat to league leaders Chelsea would be demoralising, with Klopp eager to secure the win.
Replacing Loris Karius between the sticks, Simon Mignolet is tasked with keeping out one of the most formidable attacks in the league.
Ahead of the Belgian, Nathaniel Clyne, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren and James Milner make up Klopp’s four-man defence, shielded by Jordan Henderson in midfield.
With Henderson deployed as Liverpool’s No. 6, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum will take up their box-to-box duties, as Klopp looks to persevere with his 4-3-3 system.
This means Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are fielded in attack, with Mane among those in reserve.
Karius and Mane are joined on the bench by Ragnar Klavan, Lucas Leiva, Alberto Moreno, Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge.
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Liverpool: Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner; Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum; Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino
Substitutes: Karius, Klavan, Lucas, Moreno, Mane, Origi, Sturridge
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Willian, Hazard, Costa
Substitutes: Begovic, Terry, Zouma, Chalobah, Fabregas, Pedro, Batshuayi
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