Jurgen Klopp is set to bring in the expected rotation at right-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold making way for Joe Gomez as Liverpool take on Burnley.
Liverpool lock horns with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, with Jurgen Klopp also having to contend with nagging injury issues ahead of the clash. Liverpool are the only team in the Premier League left with a perfect record and would love to go into the international break with their record intact.
One of the major issues is the absence of Alisson Becker. The Brazilian was recently adjudged the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Season for the 2018-19 Champions League. And while summer arrival Adrian has done well deputising in his stead, the Spaniard is no Alisson and Klopp would love to have the Brazilian back as soon as possible.
“He [has] made steps, of course, but it was a proper injury, so it will still take time. How it always is with professional sportsmen, when you have a muscle thing and it takes long, then it takes a while as well until you can bring the muscle to at least the same level it was before. A calf muscle is pretty important for jumping – and for a goalie, it is quite important that you can jump from time to time, so it will take time,” Klopp said in his pre-match conference.
The only change expected at the back is on the right side of the four-man defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold is widely hailed as the best aggressive right-back in the Premier League. But, his defensive awareness and presence is a bit lacking, which is why we see Klopp trade in Joe Gomez on the right for crucial games or where the manager deems the defensive aspect to be a more pressing need.
The same should be expected against Burnley, with Gomez set to line up alongside Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson in the back four. In midfield, Naby Keita is a doubt for the clash and is unlikely to be in the starting eleven. His absence means Jordan Henderson is likely to keep his place in the starting lineup, albeit in an advanced role, with Fabinho set to take the number 6 role in midfield.
While Georginio Wijnaldum is generally preferred, we could see James Milner being handed a start on Saturday, mainly to combat the physicality of the Burnley squad. The attack, on the other hand, is pretty much a given, with the trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah forming a deadly combination upfront.
