When you ask footballers who Liverpool’s most important player is, you usually hear Mo Salah’s name, or perhaps Roberto Firmino or Virgil van Dijk’s!
But when the question was posed to Serge Gnabry, Bayern’s 23-year-old winger, he claimed that it’s Gini Wijnaldum who makes us tick.
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In many ways, Gnabry is spot on. The Dutchman has enjoyed a phenomenal season so far – easily the best since his 2016 move from Newcastle. When he’s not been in the team, it’s been very noticeable in terms of our shape and our ability to transition from defence to attack.
“I do not think the public is wrong. Liverpool is playing a very strong season, you cannot deny that,” Gnabry told Goal.
“That’s okay. But that does not mean that we go into the game and say, ‘There is nothing to get.’ On the contrary: We have our strengths, we are Bayern. Everything is possible.
“Georginio Wijnaldum. When I watch Liverpool games, he’s everywhere,” Gnabry said, when asked who our most important player was.
“He works in the background, bridging the spaces between defence and midfield and has a very large impact on the Liverpool game.”
It’s difficult to predict exactly who’ll start alongside Wijnaldum in Liverpool’s likely midfield trio tomorrow night.
With Fabinho likely to partner Joel Matip in defence, due to Virgil van Dijk’s suspension and the fact Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez are injured, Jordan Henderson will anchor the side. This will allow one other spot centrally, which could be taken up by either Naby Keita or James Milner.
Keita’s been playing well recently and put in a superb outing v Bournemouth, but Klopp often uses Milner in big games due to his work-rate.