The host team is coming into this match on the heels of a 3-0 loss to Brighton in their most recent league appearance, and the supporters will be looking for a big reaction from the players today.
This is a game that Liverpool absolutely needs to win if they want to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League. They just cannot afford to keep dropping points at this juncture.
The Reds are taking on a team that is currently ranked in the top four of their respective league, and a loss here might be detrimental to their efforts to qualify for European competition.
Even though they haven’t suffered any new injuries, Liverpool are still without key players like Arthur Melo, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, and Virgil Van Dijk. There are no new injury concerns for Liverpool at this time. The return of Darwin Nunez to training has been confirmed by Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, who also stated that the Uruguayan international will be available to play against Chelsea.
Klopp responded “Yes” when asked if Nunez is “closer for selection” during the pre-match press conference he had before the match.In the meantime, he continued by saying that the young defensive midfielder Stefan Bajcetic is in his thoughts for the game following an amazing showing against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the previous week.
Klopp stated the following regarding the presence of Bajcetic in his mind: “He was always, he [has been] for a while. I believe he missed two games due to the injury. My thoughts keep going back to him. You cannot be more connected to a team unless you are always in a squad, coming on, and doing other activities along these lines. I believe the only two times that he was not included in a squad was due to him suffering from painful but non-life-threatening injuries. He wasn’t in the game, but after he played, you can say that he’s getting closer.Alisson Becker will most likely start in goal for the Reds, who will most likely line up in a 4-3-3 configuration.
It is anticipated that Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson will continue to play the positions of fullbacks for this team, with Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate forming a partnership in the center of the back four.
It will be expected of Fabinho to act as an anchor in the midfield and disrupt the play of the opposing team. Thiago Alcantara will be looking to exert his will on the action in the middle of the field and take command of the pace at which the game is played.
Additionally, it is anticipated that club captain Jordan Henderson will play a role in the game, and his presence will lend the team both impetus and defensive cover.
Upon his return, Darwin Nunez will take over as the leader of the line, with Mohamed Salah on his right and Cody Gakpo, who was only signed in January, on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
