The Liverpool Echo made a very good point following Friday’s 1-1 draw with Malaysia XI – with Daniel Sturridge injured, there is no clear frontrunner to partner Chrisitian Benteke against Stoke City on opening day.
As it stands, Brendan Rodgers is most likely to go with a 4-3-3 formation, with two of Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Jordon Ibe playing wide of our central striker.
However, with the Northern Irishman having also experimented with a 4-4-2 diamond formation over the course of our pre-season tour in the Far East, it’s worth considering who would be in line to get the nod to play alongside our giant Belgian.
Divock Origi, Danny Ings and Rickie Lambert have shared the responsibilities during the last four games, but after scoring just a couple of goals between them, there is no obvious candidate at this stage.
SEE MORE:
Liverpool’s pre-season player ratings – Lallana and Gomez top of the class on Far East tour
Rodgers press conference: Malaysia, Benteke signing, possible team vs Stoke
Time to stop: Discussing why Liverpool should stick with seven summer signings
So, with this in mind, here’s a look at all the strikers currently on our books and a run-down of their likely pecking order at the start of the new season…
8) Jerome Sinclair
The teenager got a couple of chances towards the end of the season, making his Premier League debut during the draw with Chelsea. However, his future was plunged into uncertainty when he was left out of our pre-season tour squad, despite the presence of a handful of other academy players and our lack of forwards on the trip. He also sent this tweet, implying that he could be on his way out this summer…
Sometimes things just aren’t meant to be! Exciting times though! New chapter pending, Can’t wait to see where this year takes me
— Jerome Sinclair (@JSinclair_48) July 10, 2015
Still, no news yet. He’s been with the Under-21s and could well continue with them over the next twelve months.
7) Fabio Borini
The Italian decided to stay and fight for his place last season. However, he scored just one Premier League goal and struggled for opportunities, despite our problems up front. Brendan Rodgers would surely sell, if the opportunity arose, and several teams have reportedly expressed an interest (via Daily Mail). However, with the former Chelsea man having proved difficult to shift thus far, maybe we’ll be stuck with him for another year.
