The tough choices that Jurgen Klopp must make before Liverpool’s Sunday trip to Manchester United
Liverpool will visit Old Trafford on Sunday for the second time in three weeks in an attempt to hold onto the top spot in the Premier League for an additional week.
On Thursday night, the Reds defeated Sheffield United 3-1 thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Cody Gakpo, regaining top spot. However, with Man City and Arsenal playing on Saturday, away at Brighton and Crystal Palace, respectively, Jurgen Klopp’s team may find themselves in a same situation once more, needing a win to overtake their opponents.
Given that Liverpool is attempting to match their record of 20 league titles, Manchester United will be determined to thwart their fierce rivals’ title challenge. Erik Ten Hag’s team lost to Chelsea 4-3 in stoppage time on Thursday night, and the Red Devils will also be trying to recover from their two previous matchups when they gave up late leads.
Last month, United eliminated Klopp’s team from the FA Cup by winning 4-3 in the final minute of extra time to eliminate the Reds from the competition. We examine some of the alterations Liverpool might make to their lineup to take on the Red Devils, as they are out to settle some scores as a result.
Robertson Returns
After bouncing back from an ankle injury, Andy Robertson had a spectacular cameo as a substitute against Sheffield United, setting up Gakpo’s goal with a beautiful left-wing cross.
The captain of Scotland experienced the problem when playing for his country, but he quickly recovered against the Blades after missing the victory against Brighton the previous weekend. He is now in a good position to return to the starting lineup at Old Trafford.
As a result, Joe Gomez might move to right-back, replacing Conor Bradley, who was benched from the team following his poor performance against United in the FA Cup. Jarell Quansah might replace Ibrahima Konate as the starting centre back alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Wataru Endo latest
Wataru Endo took a knock against Brighton and was unable to play in the match against Sheffield United due to injury. Klopp did, however, clarify that the Japanese player’s absence was merely preventative, and as a result, he should be ready for the trip to Old Trafford.
Should the 31-year-old be fully recovered, Alexis Mac Allister will be pushed forward and Ryan Gravenberch will be dropped from the starting lineup. Dominik Szoboszlai rounds out the midfield trio, with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones vying for a starting position should Klopp feel pressured to make more changes.
Since the March international break, Luis Diaz, Nunez, and Mohamed Salah have started both games; perhaps this calls for a rotation. But since returning to club action, all three of the players—who are currently Klopp’s first choices—have scored goals.
The Egyptian was taken off the pitch early against Sheffield United, indicating that he will have had plenty of rest before visiting Old Trafford again.
It would also come as a slight surprise if Gakpo’s goal against the Blades, which he scored off the bench, was sufficient to get him into the starting lineup against Manchester United. Don’t fix anything if it’s not broken.
