Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson to be restored to starting XI…
Brendan Rodgers has some serious selection headaches ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea at Anfield.
With fringe players like Kolo Toure and Lucas impressing against Real Madrid, Rodgers must decide whether or not to bring in all of the stars he rested for the Champions League defeat…
Here’s who we reckon he’ll plump for.
GK) Simon Mignolet
Mignolet actually had a terrific game against Los Blancos, and hopefully it will act as a confidence booster for the visit of Jose Mourinho’s men.
DR) Glen Johnson
Javier Manquillo did well in the Champions League too, but Johnson is likely to come back into the side to face his former club.
DL) Alberto Moreno
One of our most impressive players midweek, Moreno is certain to start at left-back because Jose Enrique and Jon Flanagan are out injured.
DC) Martin Skrtel
The Slovakian starts on the right of the two centre-halves, and is usually the first defender on the team-sheet when fit.
DC) Kolo Toure
We reckon Toure is undroppable, having kept Cristiano Ronaldo quiet at the Bernabeu. Dejan Lovren is out of form, and could probably do with being taken out of the firing line anyway.
DMC) Lucas
The Brazilian provides the team a solid platform at the base of midfield, and against the likes of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, we could do with his tackles and interceptions. Having played well against Real Madrid, Lucas could get the nod again.
MC) Steven Gerrard
The skipper will be raring to go having been benched midweek, and will be desperate to prove to doubters wrong. Our captain still has more than enough ability to dictate tempo and begin attacks from deep.
MC) Jordan Henderson
Like his skipper, Henderson will be fresh having not played against Real Madrid. His energy and dynamism will be crucial to Liverpool’s chances. against the league leaders.
AMR) Raheem Sterling
Sterling is our most exciting attacking threat, although he’s struggled to replicate his phenomenal early season form in recent weeks. If Rodgers persists with his 4-3-3 formation (as we expect him to), Sterling’s likely to start from the right, given the licence to cut inside.
AML) Coutinho
Coutinho won Liverpool’s Player of the Month award for October, and definitely deserves a starting spot. He’d prefer to play centrally, but will probably start form the left in a 4-3-3, with Adam Lallana providing a natural option from the bench.
FC) Mario Balotelli
Balotelli is a big game player, and it’s about time he started showing it. Rested midweek, Balotelli should lead the line despite Fabio Borini’s decent run-out versus Real. We’d love to see our Italian maverick break his Premier League duck Saturday lunchtime.
