Predicted Liverpool lineup against Leeds United: Thiago to return; Nunez starts again

Thiago Alcantara and Darwin Nunez will feature in the starting lineup when Liverpool and Leeds United face off at Anfield on Saturday.

Liverpool crashed to a defeat against Nottingham Forest in their last league outing after two impressive wins over Manchester City and West Ham United. And the Reds will have to get over their inconsistency issues if they are to finish the season on a high. Their next outing will be against a struggling Leeds United on Saturday.

The Merseyside giants come into this game on the back of a comprehensive win over Ajax in the Champions League. And they should be full of confidence against a lacklustre Leeds outfit.

Manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Thiago Alcantara will return to the starting lineup after missing the last couple of games. Meanwhile, Naby Keita is still working his way to full match fitness and will be unavailable against Leeds.

Klopp said, “Naby is still in a longer rehab phase. It will be tight. I think Naby will have a full pre-season with us in December and that will be perfect for him.”

Liverpool vs Leeds United Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Meanwhile, Luis Diaz, Joel Matip and Diogo Jota remain long term absentees. Jordan Henderson is expected to miss out as well.

“With Hendo, we have to wait a little bit,” Klopp told reporters on Friday. “It’s a knock, he was a bit stiff yesterday, had only treatment yesterday. So we will see how he will be today. I expect him to be OK, to be honest.”

“And Thiago is back. Naby not yet. Joel will not be back – he’s here training but rehab. You don’t have to ask about Diogo for a while and not for Luis for a while.”

Liverpool are expected to continue with their 4-4-2 setup here, and Alisson Becker will retain his place between the sticks. The Brazilian international has been Liverpool’s best player this season. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson did well against Ajax and are in line to start here. Klopp will need their creativity from the wide areas.

Joe Gomez will partner Virgil Van Dijk at the back, and the duo will be expected to keep the likes of Rodrigo and Jack Harrison quiet. As for the midfield, Thiago will return to action alongside Fabinho. While the Spaniard will add creativity and composure in the middle, Fabinho will disrupt the play with his interceptions and tackles.

Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are expected to start out wide in the absence of Jota and Diaz. They will operate as inverted attacking midfielders with playmaking duties and will look to provide a wide outlet from time to time. Finally, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah should form the strike partnership after their goalscoring displays in the midweek.

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Thiago, Carvalho, Salah, Nunez