Jurgen Klopp will be without eight players when Liverpool take on West Ham on Wednesday night, and has a big decision to make in Diogo Jota‘s absence.
Jota added to the injury list with a serious calf problem picked up in the 1-0 win over Man City on Sunday, as Liverpool played almost 100 minutes at Anfield.
Three days on and West Ham are visitors in the Premier League, with Klopp facing a balancing act when it comes to his squad.
The manager will be hoping to build momentum after victory over the champions, but there is a need for caution when it comes to the fitness of many of his key players.
So how do Liverpool line up on Wednesday?
Team news
In his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Klopp gave a comprehensive injury update:
- Konate, Ox, Ramsay nearing return but not yet available
- Jones working on fitness after minor setback on Monday
- Keita in “parts of team training” – return likely in November
- Matip “still a little bit away”, Diaz and Jota out for “months”
So how do Liverpool line up vs. West Ham?
There are a number of questions to consider in the buildup to Wednesday night.
• Who starts at right-back? Will Trent Alexander-Arnold, who only returned to training on Saturday, be ready to start?
• Can Thiago play three games in a row with Nottingham Forest to come next?
• Does Darwin Nunez come back in, and who for?
• Who fills in for Jota? Could Klopp change back to 4-3-3?
With those in mind, there could be a number of changes to the Liverpool lineup in midweek:
- Alexander-Arnold to replace James Milner at right-back
- Jordan Henderson to take over from Fabinho in two-man midfield
- Fabio Carvalho the replacement for Jota out wide
Those alterations would see the Reds shape up like this:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Henderson, Thiago, Carvalho; Firmino, Salah
However, if Alexander-Arnold is not deemed ready to start and Thiago is rested, there could be changes elsewhere.
Klopp will also need to consider Roberto Firmino‘s fitness:
- Milner to keep his place in unchanged back four
- Henderson to replace Thiago, not Fabinho
- Nunez to come in for Firmino, Salah slightly deeper
That would see this Liverpool lineup take to the field:
Alisson; Milner, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Henderson, Fabinho, Carvalho; Salah, Nunez
Either way, despite the injuries there remains a strong bank of in-form players to choose from, with confidence boosted dramatically after back-to-back wins over Rangers and Man City.
That cannot be a false dawn, though, and Klopp will need another big performance from his side at Anfield.
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