Jurgen Klopp‘s final away game of the season comes after a rare extended break, but it would not be surprising to see the manager make changes for the trip to Aston Villa.
The Reds showed what they could do when the pressure was off last time out against Tottenham, although that still included defensive lapses to make the final exchanges unnecessarily dramatic.
With nothing but three points to play for, Klopp will hope his side can retain that freedom all the while tightening up at the back against a Villa side chasing a top-four spot.
Klopp talked up Unai Emery’s side in the buildup to the clash, but the Reds boss has lost only once in his career to the Spaniard – way back in his first season at Anfield in the Europa League final.
So, what side will he look to field to add another victory to the tally?
Team News
The manager did not discuss team news in his latest press conference, but training images from Friday’s session shed some light on the squad situation.
- Diogo Jota not in training; unlikely to return from hip injury
- Andy Robertson not pictured with the squad
- Joel Matip, Thiago, Ben Doak and Bobby Clark remain absent
Liverpool’s XI vs. Villa
Before conceding two late goals against Spurs, Liverpool were playing some of their best football, and it would not be surprising to see Klopp stick to the same formula.
Prior to his penultimate game, the boss admitted to having regrets over Harvey Elliott‘s game time, and after an eye-catching performance last time out, it’s only right he retains his place.
That Jarell Quansah could again keep Ibrahima Konate out of the side speaks volumes, with the Reds possibly going unchanged for only the second time this season:
- Quansah keeps his place ahead of Konate
- Elliott retained on right of midfield
- Cody Gakpo starts alongside Diaz and Salah up top
The Reds would, therefore, line up like this:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Elliott, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo
With eight days between games, Klopp will not need to think about rotation, but he could still be tempted to tweak his team.
Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai will be contenders to return after two games out of the XI, respectively, while Darwin Nunez will hope he can rediscover some confidence from the start.
If Robertson is in doubt, having not been pictured in training on Friday, Joe Gomez could step in after five appearances off the bench.
- Konate to partner Van Dijk for second time in five games
- If Robertson not fit, Gomez to start at left-back
- Szoboszlai takes over as right-sided No. 8
- Nunez up top in search of first goal in eight games
Those changes would result in the following XI:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Endo, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Nunez
It seems unlikely that we will see any surprises when the teamsheet comes out on Monday evening, but you can never put it beyond Klopp – who has been embracing his notice period!
Villa will head into the clash off the back of Europa Conference League disappointment from Thursday, and the Reds should not be the ones showing signs of fatigue like they did in April.
For one last time on the road under Klopp, into these Reds!
Fan Comments