Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to lead Liverpool to another victory over Manchester City at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Liverpool will face off against fellow Premier League side Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
The Reds are the only team to have beaten Pep Guardiola’s troops in the Premier League this season, handing them a 4-3 defeat at Anfield earlier this year. And Jurgen Klopp will be keen on achieving a similar outcome on Wednesday and take a step towards progressing to the final four of the competitions.
Ahead of the big game on Wednesday, Liverpool were dealt a bitter blow as midfielder Adam Lallana picked up a hamstring injury in their 2-1 triumph over Crystal Palace this past weekend. He joins defenders Joe Gomez, Joel Matip on the sidelines, while Ragnar Klavan is also expected to miss out.
Loris Karius has been quite solid in goal for the Reds since taking over the mantle of No.1, barring that gaffe against Palace when he gave away a penalty. He should once again start on Wednesday.
Right-back Nathaniel Clyne is fit again and was named among the substitutes over the weekend. However, Klopp revealed in his pre-match press conference that the England international is still lacking match practice and might not be ready for the big game.
That would mean academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold gets the nod at right-back, while Andrew Robertson is expected to continue on the opposite side owing to his recent run of good form. In the centre of the backline, Dejan Lovren is expected to partner up with club record signing Virgil van Dijk.
Midfielder Emre Can has been effectively ruled out of the game by the German tactician owing to a back problem that kept him out in the last game as well.
“He [Can] has a training session this afternoon, but even when we could need him really, we cannot rush it. That’s how it is. There is no chance,” Klopp said in his presser on Tuesday.
Summer arrival Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been impressive in his debut campaign and is expected to start against the Citizens alongside club captain Jordan Henderson and seasoned pro James Milner to form the midfield trio for the Reds on Wednesday night.
Mohamed Salah has been in unstoppable form since joining Liverpool in the summer and has notched up 37 goals already this season, scoring five in his last two appearances. He will be the Reds’ biggest threat going forward, cutting in from the right-flank.
The Egyptian will be ably supported by Brazilian international Roberto Firmino, who is enjoying his best season in Liverpool colours, while Senegalese forward Sadio Mane will look to pose a serious danger from the left-wing.
