Liverpool will be buoyed by the returns of Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana and James Milner from injury and are likely to name a full-strength side in a bid to keep pressure on the leaders in the Premier League.
As much as we expect Jurgen Klopp to keep one eye on the midweek English League Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur before naming the starting XI tonight, it’s very likely we’ll see a full strength lineup from Liverpool once more. The boss has, as he admitted in the pre-match press conference, a ‘big squad’ now to choose his eleven and will hence leave no stone unturned to ensure he gets the three points against West Brom.
Georginio Wijnaldum was sorely missed in the centre of the park last week against Manchester United and his return along with Adam Lallana will boost Liverpool’s midfield ahead of their clash against the Baggies. James Milner was hauled off against the Red Devils last Monday after taking a knock. However, he has since returned to training and according to Klopp, is in the reckoning for a starting place.
Joe Gomez returned to first team training last week after being side-lined for almost an entire year due to an ACL injury and the subsequent after-effects of the reconstruction surgery. However, it’s being rumoured that the defender could make a short-term loan move to Championship leaders Huddersfield Town in a bid to get some match experience before being eased into the first team set-up at Liverpool. Sheyi Ojo is yet to recover from the back-injury he suffered during pre-season.
The bone of contention remains in attack as Klopp will have a decision on his hands regarding Daniel Sturridge’s starting place. The England international is still a respected striker in the business but Roberto Firmino has been more effective up-top than Sturridge has been this season. And the 27-year-old’s poor showing against Manchester United last week doesn’t work to his advantage either. However, as observed from last week, Liverpool’s line-up could undergo some changes depending on whether Sturridge starts or not as Klopp looks to accommodate the likes of Coutinho, Firmino and Mane in the line-up.
If Sturridge does start, Coutinho could drop down to a midfield three with Firmino and Mane taking the flanks. However, his absence will mean Firmino will take the role of the false-nine. Klopp has vowed to work with Sturridge in his bid to find his form for the Reds and had only good things to say regarding his star-striker despite his poor performances off-late.
