Liverpool kick off Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour against Norwich City today.
The German has been adamant that he does not want the rest of the season to revolve around him, but there is no doubt that it will happen. Klopp has up to 15 home games at Anfield and today is the first game. Liverpool will hope to secure another game with a win, with a draw in the fifth round before kick-off to decide who they face if they beat Norwich.
Andy Robertson, Dominic Szoboslai and Trent Alexander-Arnold could return from injury, but it remains to be seen how strong Klopp will be from a squad perspective. There are league games against Chelsea and Arsenal scheduled for next week and it would be a huge boost if these three players were present.
Young players like Kaide Gordon and Bobby Clarke will be hoping to emerge and there is no reason why Liverpool can’t progress and stay in the top four. Here are the teams picked by some of the Liverpool.com writers:
Firstly, we will leave Alisson Becker in goal. He hasn’t played all week so he might be back here. I think Robertson, Szoboslay and Alexander-Arnold will be substitutes rather than starters, with Connor Bradley and Joe Gomez likely to feature again. I prefer Ibrahima Konate to Virgil van Dijk, but we might need half of each.
Alexis McAllister shouldn’t have too much of a problem playing midfield to start. I’d like to see Clarke at some point, but Harvey Elliott will have to play for him. Curtis Jones hasn’t started all week, so he could be a possibility here. And in attack, Kaide Gordon could get another trial alongside Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Liverpool are playing this weekend.
To be honest, none of us have thought about Norwich lately. But there is a chance to take another step towards greater success and Jurgen Klopp’s final season can end on a high note. This article still seems strange. It’s hard to gauge how strong the Liverpool manager will be, especially when it comes to players coming back from injury. Robertson, Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlay could have roles but I think he will be on the bench.
Caoimhin Kelleher can score again. Your chances of reaching the Carabao Cup final may be limited, so why not make the most of it? Jarel Kuansah should start in the heart of the defense and could go with Ibrahima Konate, but would not give the Frenchman more than 45 minutes if possible. Bradley was able to continue on the right while Owen Beck was able to give Gomez plenty of rest on the left.
Let’s keep Mac Allister in midfield and bring back Curtis Jones. Bobby Clarke has been given the chance to impress for them, while Kaide Gordon has been given a chance in the front three. He will be paired with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo.