Competing at the forefront of the Premier League is a bit of a balancing act, with teams – like Liverpool – juggling workloads and rotating players to keep things fresh, with one eye on the prize and, sometimes, the other fixed overseas.
This is the case for the 2023/24 Premier League title challengers, with Arsenal and Manchester City fighting in the Champions League and the Merseysiders pushing to win the Europa League.
Liverpool have completed a stunning resurgence to return to this silver-chasing position and have already bagged the Carabao Cup in Jurgen Klopp’s swansong season, but Wednesday night’s respective victories for the Reds’ title rivals highlight the gravity of securing three points on each and every occasion.
This evening, Liverpool will welcome bottom-placed club Sheffield United to Anfield in a top-flight clash that must be a comprehensive win, a win that will take hosts back to the summit, two points ahead of Arsenal.
Klopp’s men have been hit with a catalogue of injuries over the past few months but that storm is now showing signs of abating, key players are returning and the Merseyside outfit have indeed weathered a testing period.
Liverpool team news
Curtis Jones’ nine-match injury layoff is set to end tonight, with the controlling midfielder set to be involved in the matchday squad, albeit unlikely to start.
Moreover, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate could be in line for starts after overcoming respective minor issues, though Konate in particular could be rested ahead of Sunday’s pivotal showdown against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara’s long-term injuries mean both veterans – out of contract in June – may not feature again this season, though Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Stefan Bajcetic are slated for a return to training next week, with goalkeeper Alisson not far behind.
Klopp also revealed in his pre-match press conference that holding midfielder Wataru Endo “got a knock” during Sunday’s victory over Brighton & Hove Albion and will need to be assessed.
Why Szoboszlai must be dropped vs Sheffield United
With no disrespect to Sheffield United, Liverpool will expect to secure all three points at Anfield this evening and for this reason, it might be wise to take a prudent route and rest Endo ahead of the looming trip to Manchester.
Alexis Mac Allister has proved his quality in a more defensive midfield role, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 2.8 tackles and 5.7 successful duels per game in the top flight this term, and despite this Klopp might be convinced to rest Dominik Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai is an energetic and influential midfielder with a ferocious right foot and a keen eye for a pass, so important for the club since joining in a £60m transfer from RB Leipzig last summer, but he’s suffered with injuries recently and he too might be worth moving to the bench.
Dominik Szoboszlai: Premier League 23/24 Stats
Stat
#
Matches played
24
Starts
22
Goals
3
Assists
2
Pass completion
87%
Shots per game
2.0
Key passes per game
1.7
Tackles per game
1.3
Duels won per game
3.6
Recoveries per game
6.0
Dribbles completed per game
0.9
Stats via Sofascore
Liverpool certainly have options. Harvey Elliott, 21 today, has been ever-so impressive recently and ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, with Szoboszlai listed as his second-most-comparable player.
Ryan Gravenberch returned from injury before the international break and could be in line for his first Premier League start since the depleted Reds beat Luton Town in February. Alternatively, Bobby Clark and James McConnell have been immense since bursting from the academy this year.
