Liverpool’s next Premier League match is against Nottingham Forest, and Jurgen Klopp faces some selection quandaries
Liverpool ended their winless streak in emphatic fashion on Monday with a record-breaking romp at Leeds United.
The Reds racked up six goals in a 6-1 win over the Yorkshire side at Elland Road, their biggest victory over the Yorkshire side in Elland Road history. Liverpool will now look to boost their Premier League title hopes when they host strugglers Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
And now we look ahead to see what changes Jurgen Klopp might make when his team returns to action.
Due to the need for consistency and the impressive second-half performance against Arsenal, Klopp has kept the same starting lineup for the last two games.
It would be surprising if there is much change for the weekend, with rotation more likely to come after the Forest game, which is the first of five games in 15 days.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the favorite to start because of his ‘new’ role as an inverted right-back. With Calvin Ramsay injured, Joe Gomez and James Milner are the other options on the right of defence, while Andy Robertson is once again firmly first-choice ahead of Kostas Tsimikas at left-back.
At centre-back, the same can be said for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. The other senior options are Joel Matip, Gomez, and Nat Phillips. Alisson Becker is the starting goalkeeper, followed by Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian.
Jones stakes out a claim
Curtis Jones’ emergence as a regular starter on the left side of Klopp’s midfield three has been one of the more intriguing aspects of Klopp’s recent selections.
Jones had an assist against Leeds and looked far more confident in the second half. Thiago Alcantara’s return to fitness, on the other hand, has given Liverpool an option in the position.
Fabinho and Jordan Henderson both started again, with the pair the most likely to compete for the anchor role if Klopp decides to make changes in the engine room this weekend.
Harvey Elliott, who has started every Premier League game this season, hasn’t kicked a ball in the last three, while Milner has only started one since January. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Arthur Melo all missed out on the bench on Monday, and Stefan Bajcetic is injured.
Diaz’s choice
The return of Luis Diaz after a six-month absence has given Klopp a welcome selection headache in attack, though the Colombian appears unlikely to be given a start just yet.
Diogo Jota ended his long goal drought with a brace against Leeds after retaining his starting position on the left, but he will face competition from Darwin Nunez, who scored off the bench.
Cody Gakpo and Roberto Firmino have both scored in the last two weeks and are the options in the middle. Mohamed Salah, who is nearing the end of another 30-game season, is the favorite to keep his spot on the right. Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho has only played two minutes in the Premier League since the World Cup.
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