After booking their place in the Europa League round-of-16 on Thursday night courtesy of a 4-0 victory over LASK Linz, Liverpool return to Premier League action on Sunday.
Fulham are the visitors to Anfield as the Reds go in search of their 11th successive home win this season. And with Man City hosting Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s 4.30pm kick-off, they also have the chance to, temporarily at least, leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s side into second.
Having drawn 1-1 away at Man City last weekend, Jurgen Klopp made nine changes for the win over LASK with Mohamed Salah and Kostas Tsimikas the only two players to retain their places. And while the pair will expect to start once more, a plethora of Liverpool changes are expected once more.
But who might Klopp start against the Cottagers? After a number of impressive midweek performances, we take a look at the changes the German could be tempted to make…
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Kelleher keeps his place
Klopp has already confirmed that Alisson Becker will miss the clash with Fulham after suffering a hamstring injury against Man City. Consequently, Caoimhin Kelleher will keep his place in goal following an impressive showing against LASK.
With Andy Robertson still a long-term absentee after dislocating his shoulder in October, Tsimikas should start at left-back. But it should be all-change across the rest of the back four.
Virgil van Dijk captains the side at centre-back, while Trent Alexander-Arnold also returns at right-back. Elsewhere, Joel Matip seems to have edged ahead of Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order and can also be expected to be restored to the side.
Midfield headache but Klopp won’t mind
Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch all impressed when starting in midfield against LASK, presenting Klopp with a welcome dilemma when it comes to pondering if any of the trio should keep their places.
The Netherlands international perhaps has the best chance, should he retain his position on the left-hand side, though Elliott will inevitably be keen to face his former club. However, after one of his best performances at number six against Man City, Alexis Mac Allister is almost certain to be recalled at Endo’s expense.
Dominik Szoboszlai has been first-choice for Liverpool ever since joining the Reds in the summer, but his form has dropped in recent weeks. While it would be a surprise to see him benched, Klopp certainly has in-form options if he does wish to rotate the Hungarian. He has been warned.
Curtis Jones is also a strong option, having started away at Man City, though he is still feeling his way back after a stop-start start to the campaign after suspension and injury.
Gakpo or Nunez?
After scoring a brace against LASK, Cody Gakpo will be itching to retain his place in attack against Fulham. However, he will be vying for a place with Darwin Nunez who will also be hungry for a recall despite not scoring for the Reds for the past month.
With Diogo Jota out injured with a muscle injury, Luis Diaz, who also scored against the Austrians, is the natural option on the left-hand side. Three doesn’t go into two, with Klopp facing a dilemma as to stick whether to reward his goalscoring duo or stick with Nunez.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is virtually certain to start on the right as the Egyptian goes in search of his 200th Liverpool and 150th Premier League goals.
Possible Liverpool XI vs Fulham (4-3-3): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
