Jurgen Klopp could offer Daniel Sturridge a second consecutive league start for the first time this season as Roberto Firmino remains an injury doubt for Boro.
A massive game lies ahead for Liverpool on the final day of the season as they look to secure Champions League football with victory against relegated Middlesbrough.
In hindsight, it should be an easy task but that would be a notoriously ill-informed assumption given Liverpool’s poor record against teams placed in the bottom half of the table.
Speaking of the importance of the game Klopp said,”It’s everything. It’s the end of the season, the middle of development, start of the new season. In the end it’s a football game.”
“Never, ever in history, somebody said before a game ‘this would be the start of a new era’. Maybe we can mark it later. Everything we get on Sunday, we have to take, make the best of it.”
Roberto Firmino remains the only injury doubt and despite returning to training may be restricted to a substitute appearance on Sunday. Moreover Klopp must have been impressed with how the change in formation to a 4-4-2 diamond worked out.
So it won’t be surprising to see the German stick to the XI that thumped West Ham in their backyard. Daniel Sturridge and Coutinho were impressive that evening and fans and manager alike will hope that’s the case on Sunday as well.
Champions League football will certainly be a wonderful parting gift from Sturridge who is likely set to leave the club this summer having already been linked with a number of names across the league.
The Reds are expected to stick to the same back-four that has managed 4 shutouts in the last five games. And with Henderson remaining out, Can is expected to continue in the deep midfield role he seems to have matured into over the past few months.
Wijnaldum and Lallana have been regulars in midfield and there is no reason to suggest why they shouldn’t be in the first team on Liverpool’s day of days on Sunday.