Liverpool players fought 120 minutes of a frantic League Cup Final on Sunday, losing to Manchester City on a cruel penalty shoot-out.
In a twist of fate, we face our Wembley opponents on Wednesday night as well, three days after the events which unfolded in London.
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And we predict that Sunday will influence Jurgen Klopp in his selection for the midweek Anfield Premier League tie.
Mamadou Sakho had to leave the pitch early against the Sky Blues after suffering a bang of heads, but it’s unlikely to keep him out long-term and we see no reason why he won’t earn a spot back in the XI.
Simon Mignolet will keep his spot in goal, despite Sunday’s blunder, while Lucas’s Man of the Match performance surely guarantees another start in central defence as well. Nathaniel Clyne should begin at right-back, but we predict Jon Flanagan will come in for Alberto Moreno – the Spaniard who played so poorly during the final.
We reckon Klopp will stick with Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and James Milner in the middle three. All three played the entire match, but are renowned for their excellent fitness and recovery levels.
Up top, we predict Klopp will make one more change, bringing in Divock Origi for Daniel Sturridge. Sturridge played 120 minutes against City, and looked physically shattered at the end.
There’s a chance Klopp will pick Lallana instead, using Firmino as a False-9, but Origi’s pace and running makes him a more dynamic option.
So if we’re correct, Liverpool could start like this tomorrow evening…
What d’you make of the prospective lineup, Reds?
