Jurgen Klopp was asked about Liverpool’s early team news and selection issues ahead of the trip to Brighton
Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Wolves in the third round of the FA Cup
The Reds must now schedule a replay in order to continue their defense of the trophy
But, before Liverpool takes on Wolves at Molineux, Jurgen Klopp will travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday
Here’s an early look at some of the Reds manager’s selection questions
Defense and goalkeeper
Alisson Becker’s huge error led to Wolves’ first goal. To his credit, the Brazilian has saved Liverpool on numerous occasions this season
Trent Alexander-Arnold is getting into a groove after recording back-to-back assists. He was replaced late in the game by Joe Gomez, but the academy product is unlikely to be rested
With Virgil van Dijk out for the rest of the month, the Reds’ center-back pairing will be Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip. Matip got away with one big mistake against Wolves, but both were solid throughout
Despite not having his best game, Andy Robertson has established himself as the undisputed first choice ahead of Kostas Tsimikas on the left side
Midfield
The lack of challenges and the ease with which Liverpool was cut through against Wolves was concerning.
Fabinho was a shadow of his former self once again, and any hopes that he’ll play his way back into form are gone Jordan Henderson was subdued, and Thiago Alcantara was as much to blame as Alisson for Wolves’ opener for his overconfidence on the ball in a dangerous area
Naby Keita’s 22-minute cameo off the bench was exactly what Liverpool fans hoped for when they paid £52 million for him in 2018. There was vigour, thrust, and, most importantly, a willingness to push against the opposition. The Guinea international has a history of injuries at Anfield and is out of contract in the summer. However, Keita has demonstrated that he cannot be ignored, and a calculated gamble is in the works
Harvey Elliott has received unfair criticism recently and may be used as an impact substitute, while it will be interesting to see if James Milner returns from a hamstring injury.
Forwards
Mo Salah scored the second goal but was unimpressive for much of the Wolves game
Darwin Nunez scored brilliantly, and with Diogo Jota out and Roberto Firmino still out with a calf injury, he’ll continue to spearhead the attack
Klopp must decide whether to give Cody Gakpo his Premier League debut. The January signing from PSV Eindhoven had some good moments against Wolves, including assisting Salah, but he appeared a little lost in the system at times. His performance, he admits, was sloppy
That’s understandable given that Gakpo is still adjusting to Klopp’s way of thinking and may be hesitant to start such a crucial game against a fluent footballing side in Brighton. The Liverpool manager may prefer someone who is familiar with his system, but Gakpo has a week to adjust
In the last three league games, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has played in the role. Curtis Jones, on the other hand, played 45 minutes for the under-21s on Sunday and could be fit enough to start.
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