Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo will feature in a heavily-rotated team when Liverpool take on Toulouse in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Liverpool were held to draw against Luton Town in the Premier League last time out, and Jurgen Klopp will demand a strong reaction from his players when they lock horns with Toulouse at Stadium TFC in a UEFA Europa League group-stage clash on Thursday.
The visitors are without a number of players heading into this contest. Club captain Virgil van Dijk is ruled out with illness, and he is expected to return at the weekend. Meanwhile, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones are unavailable as well.
Gravenberch has a knee problem, and he is expected to return at the weekend. Curtis Jones has picked up a hamstring injury, and he will return after the international break. Meanwhile, Thiago Alcantara, Andrew Robertson and Stefan Bajcetic remain long-term absentees, and they are set to miss out as well.
“Virgil is a little bit ill,” Klopp said in his pre-match press conference before adding, “It will not be a big thing but we did not want to have him on the plane if some others have it as well. I have it a little bit but for me, it is not a problem, that’s why we left him at home. He should be absolutely alright for the weekend.”
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“Ryan got a little niggle of the knee. It is not major, he was running already today, but [there was] no chance for this game. We hope there is a chance for Brentford, and he will definitely be back after the international break. That’s why he’s not here. Curtis had a hamstring [injury] last week. Not massive. After the international break he will be back, but not before.”
Despite the injury problems, Liverpool are expected to rotate their side heavily, and Caoimhin Kelleher is set to start in goal. In the back, Joe Gomez will start as the right-back with Kostas Tsimikas featuring on the left flank. Joel Matip and Jarell Quansah are likely to be deployed as the central defenders.
In the middle of the park, Wataru Endo will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to protect the defensive unit and break up opposition attacks. Harvey Elliott will start alongside him, and the talented young midfielder will look to add creativity to the side.
In the absence of Gravenberch, who has been a regular in the Europa League, Klopp could be forced to change his formation and switch to a midfield pivot in a 4-2-3-1. Cody Gakpo will start as the central attacking midfielder here, with Ben Doak and Luis Diaz on either side of him. Diogo Jota is set to lead the line for the visitors.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Gomez, Matip, Quansah, Tsimikas; Elliott, Endo; Doak, Gakpo, Diaz; Jota
