'Elite' player starts for the first time in months, 25-year-old gets dropped: Liverpool predicted XI v Palace
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

'Elite' player starts for the first time in months, 25-year-old gets dropped: Liverpool predicted XI v Palace

Just four days after being taught a lesson by Real Madrid, Liverpool are back in Premier League action tomorrow.

Despite the doom and gloom of Tuesday’s defeat at Anfield, the Reds could win a third straight league game with a win against Crystal Palace.

That would put them just three points off a top four spot with plenty of the season still to play. Plainly, it’s not all bad.

But Jurgen Klopp will have to shuffle his pack a little. With Wolves coming to Anfield on Wednesday, and Manchester United the following Sunday, some legs will need resting. Here’s how we think he’ll send Liverpool out.

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Defence

Alisson Becker’s mistake to allow Vinicius Junior to equalise on Tuesday was arguably the moment the game got away from Liverpool. Regardless of that, there’s no chance of him coming out of the team.

The same goes for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is still without a natural deputy. The man who’d be most likely to replace him – Joe Gomez – simply cannot start again after an abysmal performance mid-week.

As a result, we expect to see Joel Matip restored to the line-up to partner Virgil van Dijk.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Andy Robertson drop out for Kostas Tsimikas here. But we think Klopp will stick with Robbo at Selhurst, before giving him the night off when Wolves come to town.

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Midfield

After a couple of impressive games on the spin, Liverpool’s midfield was overrun by an athletically impressive Madrid.

Despite that, all three of Fabinho, Stefan Bajcetic and Jordan Henderson had their moments. Nevertheless, we think Klopp will ring the changes tomorrow, with only Fabinho keeping his place.

Bajcetic has been excellent but it feels time to rest his legs. Naby Keita should come in to replace him. On the other side, we think Klopp will go with Harvey Elliott in place of Henderson.

Attack

Although Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are now very much available, Klopp seems keen to keep his recently established front-three together right now.

Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

However, as good as Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have been, we think the boss will break up the band this weekend.

Salah will, of course, remain and so too – we think – will Nunez. It isn’t inconceivable that Klopp starts both Jota and Firmino here, but we don’t think he’ll want to throw them in from the start together.

Instead, the ‘elite’ Bobby Firmino may well come in for his first start since mid-November. If he does, expect Gakpo to be the man to drop out. It’s just nice to have options again, eh! Come on Liverpool, back to winning ways please.

Liverpool’s predicted XI vs Crystal Palace: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Elliott, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Nunez

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