Jurgen Klopp will rotate when Liverpool tackle Union Saint-Gilloise of their last Europa League group stage match on Thursday night time. The Reds are already assured of high spot in Group E and a spot within the final 16 and are anticipated to relaxation gamers within the lifeless rubber in Belgium.
The Premier League leaders might even title a beginning eleven that has by no means been seen earlier than. Klopp is with out six injured gamers – Joel Matip, Alexis Mac Allister, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Andy Robertson.
Caoimhin Kelleher will return in objective, changing Alisson. The Irishman has saved only one clear sheet in his 4 Europa League appearances to date and missed the Anfield contest towards USG which Liverpool gained 2-0.
Conor Bradley, himself again to full health, impressed in pre-season and may begin at right-back. Luke Chambers – who began the house victory over Toulouse and the Carabao Cup win over Leicester – is prone to begin at left-back.
Regardless of Matip’s long-term damage, Klopp doesn’t have many different centre-halves to select from. Joe Gomez is due to this fact the doubtless captain in Brussels and Jarell Quansah ought to accomplice him. In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister faces a spell on the sidelines with a knee drawback so Wataru Endo might make his sixth successive begin on this competitors.
Harvey Elliott scored the successful objective at Palace and his reward shall be a begin right here. Dominik Szoboszlai must be rested and with Mac Allister, Thiago and Bajcetic injured, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch are the skilled choices to be the third man within the center.
However to keep away from the pair needing to play 45 minutes or extra forward of Sunday’s showdown with Manchester United, James McConnell might be handed a primary senior begin. McConnell has already had minutes this season at residence to Toulouse and Brentford, and was an unused substitute at Palace.
With Bobby Clark injured, Melkamu Frauendorf is the opposite participant from Liverpool’s UEFA B Record who might be concerned in some capability. Up entrance, Darwin Nunez is in want of objectives however is prone to lead the road subsequent to Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah towards United. As such, Cody Gakpo might be the No 9 right here with Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon out huge.
The typical age of such a beginning line-up (Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Chambers; Endo, Elliott, McConnell; Doak, Gakpo, Gordon) can be simply 21.5 years outdated. However it might permit most of these anticipated to face United to be nicely rested.
And that will be a fear for a struggling United crew who have been in exhaustive motion towards Bayern Munich within the Champions League on Tuesday night time and whose combination rating throughout their 4 earlier journeys to Anfield is a grim 16-1.
Predicted Liverpool XI vs USG: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Chambers; Endo, Elliott, McConnell; Doak, Gakpo, Gordon
Potential bench: Pitaluga, Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas, Van Dijk, Konate, Jones, Gravenberch, Frauendorf, Koumas, Nunez, Diaz, Salah