Georginio Wijnaldum is tipped to return to the starting eleven when Liverpool lock horns with Southampton on Monday night.
Liverpool are running the risk of losing their place at the top of the Premier League table, should they fail to win in their upcoming match against Southampton on Monday.
The Reds are coming on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Newcastle United – a game that marked the return of a few key players including Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri.
On the flip side, however, Jurgen Klopp had to start with Nat Phillips in at the heart of the Liverpool defence in the absence of Joel Matip. The former Schalke centre-back is joined by Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota in the list of players who have been ruled out for this encounter.
“Shaq is back and that’s, by the way, the best news – the boys are back and, as far as I know in the moment, nobody got injured, which is a very important thing. That means we can probably go with the same squad to Southampton,” said Jurgen Klopp on his team news update shortly after Liverpool’s draw with Newcastle.
So naturally, we should once again see an unchanged backline, as Liverpool continue to cope with the absence of three of their premier centre-backs. Youngster Rhys Williams is pushing for a place in the starting eleven and it won’t be surprising to see him getting the nod ahead of Phillips.
In midfield, however, Klopp may have to ring in at least one change. Georginio Wijnaldum, in particular, was rested in the last match and is almost guaranteed to come back into the starting eleven at the expense of Milner.
While Jordan Henderson remains a surefire starter, Klopp may also have to choose between one of Curtis Jones or Thiago whereas Naby Keita remains a doubt. Jones has started the last two matches for Liverpool, but given the fact that Thiago has only recently returned from an injury, it remains unlikely that the former Bayern Munich star will be rushed back into the action.
No changes are expected in the attacking unit, despite the underwhelming performances of late by the offensive trifecta of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. Klopp does, however, have the option of Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri, while Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain could provide the creative oomph if needed.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Williams, Fabinho, Robertson; Jones, Wijnaldum, Henderson; Salah, Firmino, Mane
