According to football injury website pyhsioroom, five of the ten players we currently have out injured are due back after the international break.
These include Jordon Ibe, Kolo Toure, Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Rossiter and the captain Jordan Henderson, but we doubt more than two of these will walk back into the side.
Provided nobody else picks up an injury (which we perhaps shouldn’t take for granted), here’s a team that could take the field at the Etihad.
GK) Simon Mignolet
Will need to step up to the plate after a shaky afternoon at Anfield. He’ll be spending the international break with FIFA ranked no.1s Belgium.
DR) Nathaniel Clyne
Clyne will be with England over the next fortnight, but he’s played every minute for Klopp so far and is a certainty to start again if he’s fit.
DL) Alberto Moreno
Much like Clyne on the other flank, Moreno’s an automatic starter at left-back.
DC) Martin Skrtel
Skrtel will need to be a real lynchpin at centre-half in Sakho’s absence. His partnership with Lovren has always been shoddy, in honesty, but they’re now playing together under Klopp and not Rodgers.
DC) Dejan Lovren
Kolo Toure’s expected to be back but Lovren will continue at centre-half alongside Skrtel – due to Mamadou Sakho’s injury.
MC) Lucas
The Brazilian’s staying at Melwood for the international break and is arguably the first name in Klopp’s central midfield due to his form since the German’s arrival. We’re sure he’ll be chosen over Emre Can.
MC) Jordan Henderson
With the extent of James Milner’s injury unknown, Henderson could and hopefully will return. He’s close now, but after two more weeks he’ll hopefully be raring to go. The skipper’s not actually played since August.
AMR) Jordon Ibe
With Adam Lallana away with England, we think Ibe might keep his spot on the right having been arguably our best player in each of the past two matches. He has a slight knock but should be fine for the Etihad trip.
AMC) Roberto Firmino
We missed Firmino’s creativity at no.10 versus Palace, and having not been called up by Brazil, he should be in peak condition by November 21st.
AML) Coutinho
Coutinho loves a goal against Manchester City, and having scored twice in his past two matches, he seems in the kind of mood to do so again.
FC) Christian Benteke
Daniel Sturridge will apparently be back, but we don’t believe it until we see the striker on the pitch. Benteke suits away matches. He’s an excellent holdup forward and strong in the air, so reckon Klopp will go with the Belgian instead.
