Roberto Firmino is set to return while Trent Alexander-Arnold will be in contention to feature when Liverpool welcome Wolves to Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool will be eager to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League when they play hosts to Wolves at Anfield on Sunday night. The evening is set to witness the return of fans at Anfield for the first time since March and Jurgen Klopp is set to greet the return of a couple of players as well.
?? The boss with the latest team news ahead of #LIVWOL…
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 5, 2020
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are long-term absentees due to their respective knee injuries. Apart from the defensive duo, Liverpool will also be without the likes of Alisson Becker, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri when Wolves pay them a visit.
However, in some good news, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita have resumed training this week and will both be in contention to feature in some capacity. Klopp was quizzed about the duo’s prospects during his pre-match press conference, but the Liverpool manager did not reveal much.
“Whatever we can do with that depends on how it looks. There is a chance Naby and Trent can be in the squad, I would say. If they can play, I don’t know. If they are in the squad then they can play but if they can start or play 90 minutes, I don’t know. I think there’s a chance they are in the squad.”
Considering the sheer number of games that Liverpool are set to play in a packed schedule, it is likely that Klopp will give Alexander-Arnold ample time to build his match fitness up. So, Neco Williams should start as the Reds’ right-back once again, with Alexander-Arnold likely to be introduced later on in the game.
On the opposite flank, there is no looking past Andrew Robertson while Fabinho and Joel Matip will continue pairing up at the heart of the Liverpool defence. In goal, Caoimhin Kelleher deputised superbly in the absence of Alisson earlier this week. With Alisson still unavailable, Kelleher should start between the sticks against Wolves as well.
In front of Kelleher, Liverpool should line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which means Curtis Jones might drop down to the bench despite being fabulous in midfield lately. Jones, though, could do with a breather, meaning Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum will form the double pivot.
The change in formation essentially means that Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and former Wolves forward Diogo Jota should all feature in attack for Liverpool. Salah will lead the line while Jota and Mane will be the two wide men, with Firmino reprising the no. 10 role.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Kelleher; Williams, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Jota, Firmino, Mane; Salah
