Takumi Minamino must face Midtjylland or place is in real danger

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Takumi Minamino must face FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. If he doesn’t, where is his place at Liverpool?

Liverpool will surely put out a heavily rotated squad against FC Midtjylland on Wednesday. They’re already through in the Champions League – as group winners, no less – making it a dead-rubber.

On top of that, an intense fixture schedule over the next month will increase the need to rest players. It’s hard to see Jurgen Klopp putting out the stars, then.

One player who surely will start is Takumi Minamino. The Japan international made a rare start against Brighton last week but didn’t play well.

It increases his need to play on Wednesday. If Minamino can’t start against Midtjylland, what exactly is his place?

Desperate times

Minamino hasn’t had a good run of form since arriving in January for £7m. He’s often a forgotten player, just getting a few minutes at the end of games, without time to do anything.

He did get the full 90 against Brighton, of course. He just made up the numbers in midfield, though, and struggled.

But that’s not a place in the squad. That’s simply being around during an injury crisis. Minamino desperately needs a clear role or it’s difficult to see how he carves out a career here.

Diogo Jota has taken a role that looked like his. That makes Minamino’s job a lot harder. And that’s why he desperately needs a start against Midtjylland.

With Klopp surely resting the stars, there will be a place for Minamino in his preferred positions up front. Then he has an opportunity to show what he can do and start to force his way back into first-team plans.

If he doesn’t get that chance, Minamino will continue to fade from the team. And with the fixture scheduling easing up and players returning from injury, that’s a dangerous position to be in.