Liverpool face Man United at Anfield this Sunday, with a strong display needed against a side with their tails up having captured their first major trophy since 2017.
The Reds made it three wins from four unbeaten Premier League games when they brushed past Wolves on Wednesday night, but Sunday brings a tougher test.
United are currently third in the table and 10 points clear of Liverpool, and come into this game on the back of success in the Carabao Cup final.
That makes Jurgen Klopp‘s team selection a crucial one.
Diogo Jota has been awarded two consecutive starts as he recovers from a calf injury that put him out of action back in October.
But with Liverpool almost at a full complement of attacking options, will the Portuguese forward get the nod on Sunday?
Here are two ways in which the Reds could line up against their old foes in the weekend’s showdown.
Team news
From Klopp’s press conference on Friday morning and training later in the day, we know the following:
- Luis Diaz, Thiago and Joe Gomez will not be back for Sunday
- There are currently no fresh injury concerns within the squad
- Naby Keita is back from a knock that kept him out vs. Wolves
- Jota, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate missed training but should be fit
Liverpool’s XI vs. Man United
Stefan Bajcetic, Fabinho and Harvey Elliott made up Liverpool’s midfield three in Wednesday’s win over Wolves.
The nature of this weekend’s game and opponent might mean that Klopp calls upon his captain for this occasion, with Bajcetic or Elliott being the likely candidates to make way.
Jota will hope to continue his run of starts against Erik ten Hag’s side as he looks to put his injury woes behind him.
If that is the case, Klopp’s starting lineup could look something like this:
- Andy Robertson in for Kostas Tsimikas; rest of defence unchanged
- Jordan Henderson replaces Elliott in favour of functional midfield
- Front three remains: Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Jota
This is how Liverpool would line up:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Bajcetic; Salah, Nunez, Jota
Alternatively, the manager may prefer to keep faith with Elliott, who remains Liverpool’s top appearance-maker so far this season.
With Henderson likely to return to the starting XI, this would mean Bajcetic may miss out despite an impressive run of form from the teenager.
Cody Gakpo has recovered from a slow start in a red shirt to find his feet in front of goal, and there is every chance he might feature from the start against our Mancunian neighbours.
With that in mind, the side might look something like this:
- Henderson comes in for Bajcetic, with Elliott keeping his place
- Gakpo joins Nunez and Salah in the front three
- With Robertson in for Tsimikas, rest of the team remains unchanged
This is how Liverpool would line up with those changes:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
The wait for Diaz’s return to the squad feels an endless one, but Jota and Roberto Firmino have given Liverpool options in the attacking areas which were lacking just last month due to injuries.
Sunday is a massive game in the context of the rivalry and the season as a whole – let’s hope the Reds can do the business against a side who were in the rearview mirror not so long ago.
Three big points please, Liverpool!
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