Liverpool host Rangers in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday with Jurgen Klopp desperate for his side to reignite what has so far been an inconsistent season for the Reds.
Klopp has a number of selection issues to contend with ahead of kick-off as his team look to get their European campaign back on track following a 4-1 defeat to Napoli in the competition last time out.
Rangers come into the match on the back of a 4-0 victory over Hearts in the SPL where they are in a second place - two points behind leaders Celtic - but having lost both their Champions League fixtures against Ajax and Napoli. Klopp expects the Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side to put up a "real fight" and his team selection could reflect that.
Defence - Trent under pressure
Jurgen Klopp would have been alarmed at the way Brighton carved open his defence time and time again in the 3-3 draw at Anfield on Saturday. It is no exaggeration to say that the visitors could have been out of sight before Liverpool staged their fightback. Virgil van Dijk is not in the best vein of form while Trent Alexander-Arnold’s current difficulties have been well-documented. But, with Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate still on the sidelines, Klopp’s options seem limited, especially as Joe Gomez had a torrid time in the Champions League defeat to Napoli last month when he was hooked at half-time.
Midfield - Elliott to return, Fabinho axed
Fabio Carvalho - who actually played in a left-sided attacking role on Saturday - will surely be taken out of the firing line with Harvey Elliott’s creativity getting him the nod against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side. And it seems unlikely that both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will start, as they did against Brighton. Henderson was hauled off early in the second half of that match but that could just have been a case of Klopp managing the 32-year-old’s minutes. Fabinho had a poor game against Brighton and was involved in a bit of an altercation with his manager that is unlikely to have done him any favours. Klopp could well drop Henderson deeper in a three-man midfield alongside Thiago and Elliott.
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Attack - Two and out for Bobby
With the Carvalho experiment proving to be a failure, expect a more familiar front three but even though he scored twice on Saturday, it could be Roberto Firmino who misses out as Klopp goes for the threat carried by Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. The latter put up a half-decent showing after replacing Carvalho for the second half against Brighton and looks a certainty to start against Rangers. Assuming Mohamed Salah is untouchable, that would leave a straight fight between Firmino and Jota with the Portuguese player probably the slight favourite.
That would mean no starting place for club record signing Darwin Nunez, who has scored just one goal since his £85million move to Anfield. He was suspended for three Premier League games and has struggled to settle into the tempo of Liverpool’s play. Perhaps signalling another role on the bench for him on Tuesday night, Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders held talks with Nunez on Sunday. “We had a long talk, “ said Klopp. “We just told him we are really calm. It’s really important in our situation that he isn’t looking like he is worrying or whatever.
“I know this kind of discussion will open up to the outside world. Of course the three-game didn’t help him, that’s clear. But that’s pretty much all. The team is not flying, and that makes it not easier for a striker, especially not for a finisher. It’s not that we aren’t creating chances but it’s not like everything is clicking and we put in one player and he finishes our situation off. That’s not our situation at the moment as much as I wish it would be.”
Liverpool predicted XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Elliott, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Diaz
