Jamie Carragher has urged Jurgen Klopp to start Thiago Alcantara in Liverpool's home meeting with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
The Spanish midfielder has been sidelined since the start of February, missing Liverpool's last 10 matches in all competitions, and has been a major miss for the team amid a poor run of form.
Klopp will require no reminding Sunday's fixture is a must-win to keep the Reds' faint Champions League hopes alive, though Arsenal will have plans to continue their charge toward the Premier League title.
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Unlocking the Gunners' defence, who have conceded the third fewest goals in the top-flight this term, will prove no simple task. But the potential return of Thiago could play a significant role in this respect. The 31-year-old has been back in first-team training this week, with Klopp confirming at his Friday press conference the midfielder is in contention to feature.
Explaining why the Liverpool boss cannot afford to leave the ex-Bayern Munich man out of his starting eleven, Carragher told Sky Sports' Essential Football Podcast: "It will be interesting to see what role Thiago plays, whether he goes on the bench and he comes on or if he starts the game. Only Jurgen Klopp knows how fit Thiago is, but if there’s no chance of a recurrence of an injury I’d probably start him. If he’s anywhere near, I would be putting Thiago straight in that team and trying to get the foot on the ball and a bit of possession and creativity from that position.
"That will be the plan," added Carragher on whether the visitors will look to dominate the midfield area. "For a lot of the game Liverpool may play like the away team - similar to what they did against Manchester City. Liverpool will have the crowd with them and it's just whether Arsenal can cope with that. Arsenal will try and dominate on the ball."
Pushed for a score prediction, the Bootle-born Liverpool legend added: "I've got the Anfield factor in the back of my head, there could be an atmosphere and could that get to Arsenal players? There are still a lot of young players in there and some of the best teams in the world come to Anfield and can't cope. There is no shame in that. I can never go against Liverpool at Anfield and I don't think I ever have or ever will. I will go 2-1 Liverpool."
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