Opinion: The Liverpool XI which must start against Manchester United at Old Trafford

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The international break, it’s one of the worst things about football, particularly when your side is coming off the back of a heavy and humiliating home defeat. The players and fans alike will want nothing more than to put that West Ham game behind us and win everyone back on side with a win over our long-standing rivals.

However, we’ll have to wait until September 12 for our trip to Old Trafford, when we take on Manchester United and look to get our pursuit of a Champions League place well and truly back on track.

Of course, we’ll have to do so without Philippe Coutinho, who will be suspended following his red card against the Hammers. Meanwhile, we can only hope that Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana, who have both missed our last two games, are fit and ready to return in a couple of weeks time.

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Here’s how we’re hoping we’ll be lining up…

GK) Simon Mignolet

The goalkeeper did very little wrong against West Ham, despite conceding three goals. Considering the fact that he came into that game off the back of three consecutive clean sheets as well, there’s no chance of him missing out.

RB) Nathaniel Clyne

Clyne, like all of our defenders, didn’t have the best of afternoon’s against West Ham. He’s enjoyed a decent start to life at Liverpool and won’t be overly concerned by one under-par showing, although he’ll need to be at his very best at Old Trafford if we’re to get a good result.

CB) Martin Skrtel

The Slovakian needs to stay on his feet against United and not give away too many free-kicks, as he was doing against West Ham. Hopefully, the change in centre-back partner should ease the pressure on his shoulders as well.

CB) Mamadou Sakho

It’s never nice to see knee-jerk reactions to a poor result but it’s hard to imagine Lovren, who has been widely chastised for his poor performance against West Ham, being mentally ready to take on Manchester United. Sakho has waited patiently for his chance and deserves the opportunity.

LB) Joe Gomez

It was a difficult afternoon for the youngster against West Ham but his performances in the first three games of the season suggest that Brendan Rodgers would be right to stick by him for this one. Alberto Moreno is the only alternative and he did little in that game to suggest that he deserves to leapfrog the Englishman.

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