Brendan Rodgers will have a huge selection headache ahead of our clash with Aston Villa…
It’s these sort of decisions that are the make or break moments for any manager. This time, it’s the turn of Brendan Rodgers to prove that both he and Liverpool belong among the elite, with an FA Cup semi-final on the line.
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We already know that we’ll have to tackle Aston Villa without the cup-tied Jordon Ibe, while Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli all remain major doubts, having not featured against Newcastle on Monday.
That leaves Rodgers with a major dilemma. Does he risk one of his potentially returning trio, or does he look elsewhere to find a third member of his front-line, who would play alongside Coutinho and Raheem Sterling?
Here are the five contenders as we see it:
5) Lazar Markovic
He has been unlucky in recent weeks, with chances proving hard to come by. He struggled against Arsenal last time out but only had 45 minutes before he was hauled off. During his brief time on the pitch, he offered enough to remind us all of his potential. Indeed, he should have scored and put us ahead, or at least squared more successfully to Raheem Sterling. He’ll consider himself to be at the front of the queue and fits the system we play.
4) Cameron Brannagan
There are three reasons why this might not be as crazy a suggestion as it sounds. Firstly, he’s been a regular in our match-day squads during recent weeks and clearly isn’t there just to make up the numbers. Second, we’ve enjoyed plenty of success with young players under Rodgers – see Raheem Sterling and Jordon Ibe. And finally, he impressed us when playing in the Anfield Charity match last month, proving he can mix it with the big-boys.
3) Rickie Lambert
He might have had a fairly torrid Liverpool career thus far but this could yet be the moment where he enjoys his golden moment for his boyhood club. He certainly has the pedigree for success – having scored against Villa in the Premier League earlier this year – while his physical attributes could be a necessary addition against the daunting prospect of a big Villa side. Having him as the focal point could also distract attention away from Coutinho and co.
2) Fabio Borini
Like Lambert, the Italian will surely be pointing out that he netted against Villa in the league game earlier this season – his one and only goal for the Reds this term. The Italian has had a couple of decent games when he has featured this year, although his appearances have been hugely limited. He would be more in tone with our usual style of play and was the replacement chosen for Ibe when he came off against Newcastle earlier this week.
1) Steven Gerrard
Is he still the man for the big occasion? He’ll certainly be desperate to propel us towards a final trophy under his leadership, as well as atone for his costly error against Manchester United last month. Whether or not Rodgers would trust him from the start, let alone in an attacking midfield role, remains to be seen. However, the old romantic is most Liverpool fans would almost demand his immediate return and potential fairytale ending.
