Tonight we see Jürgen Klopp’s side take on the old enemy, a rivalry that runs deeper than football and right into the socio-economic divides in the country. Unfortunately for Kopites, Liverpool will be without Harvey Elliott for the FA Cup clash with Chelsea.
Elliott has been a mainstay of Liverpool’s cup campaigns so far this season.
The 16-year-old winger was signed from Fulham over the summer, arriving with bags of promise.
Since his arrival he has shone in games against MK Dons, Arsenal and Everton in particular.
His FA Cup showing in the Merseyside Derby was arguably his best performance of the season for the senior side – he had one of the best left backs in the league on toast for the majority of the game, giving Lucas Digne a torrid time with his dribbling ability.
Many were expecting Neco Williams, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott to keep their places against Chelsea.
However, Jürgen Klopp confirmed at his pre-match press conference that the youngster is unavailable as he is competing in the UEFA Youth League against Benfica.
What RTK has to say
This decision would appear to indicate a pretty strong XI will be put out against The Chels.
It also shows that the club want the youngster to taste silverware early as they are giving their U19 a strong chance of progressing to the next round of the competition.
Who will take up the right wing berth is anybody’s guess, it could be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, it could be Mo Salah, it could even be Takumi Minamino.
All we do know is that the boss will be giving a rousing speech before the game to ensure that his side don’t lose to their London rivals.
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