Liverpool are up against Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup this week, as the Reds hunt for another piece of silverware to pair up with the more-than-likely Premier League title.
Predicting the starting team is no simple task, with Jurgen Klopp opting to play pretty much the U23s in the previous rounds (something he also did in the League Cup).
But I look to our first game against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup for an idea of who will start against Chelsea. Against the League Two outfit, we utilised the experience of players like James Milner and Adam Lallana.
I think Klopp will go for another hybrid XI against the Blues. We may have only played youth players against Everton in the previous round, but I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen this week.
Adrian is surely nailed on to start against Chelsea and I think he’ll have a back four of Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Neco Williams and James Milner to go with him.
Pedro Chirivella, Adam Lallana and Curtis Jones would be my picks for the midfield trio, with Naby Keita perhaps with an outside shout – if we’re taking the FA Cup little more seriously than we have before.
Up top, the front three are likely to be Harvey Elliott, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi. I’d expect Klopp to stick some of the stars – like Sadio Mane and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – on the bench, if we need an extra bit of firepower.
Predicted XI: Adrian; Gomez, Matip, Williams, Milner; Chirivella, Lallana, Jones; Elliott, Minamino, Origi.