Liverpool take on Everton in the FA Cup on Sunday and Takumi Minamino is primed to make his debut. Read the rest of the predicted team here!
Jurgen Klopp is likely to heavily rotate his side and we can expect a high number of changes. New signing Minamino is available after joining the Reds on January 1st from Salzburg, and despite having just three sessions to acclimatise, he will be involved.
Naby Keita has been ruled out after injuring himself in the Sheffield United warm up, but we can expect to see a number of youth prospects on the field. Rhian Brewster has recovered from his knock and will probably play, while Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are probably due a breather.
There will be an interesting battle of the goalkeepers between Adrian and Caoimhín Kelleher. Kelleher featured in the Carabao Cup while the Spaniard was an injury-enforced no. 1, but times have changed and the elder of the two would want some first team football.
After smashing Everton 5-2 with a heavily rotated side, Liverpool will be quietly confident about advancing through to the next round of the FA Cup. A run in this competition would be great and could set up a history of future successes.
The stars are aligning for the Reds during 2019/2020, let’s make it count.
Adrian
Alisson has been in fine form and his resurgence has helped the Reds become the best defensive in the league, but cup means rotation and his deputy Adrian will be back in for another appearance. The Spaniard has played well whenever he’s been called upon and is an able understudy.
James Milner, Sepp van den Berg, Joe Gomez, Ki-Jana Hoever
We have some heavy rotation across defence, but with Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip still out injured there won’t be as much as Klopp would have liked. The big news is that Virgil van Dijk will probably stand down in order to keep him fresh for more important fixtures, and that means youngster Sepp van den Berg will continue his Liverpool education.
Van den Berg had a tough time of it against Arsenal and was in the defence that conceded five away to Aston Vila, but this will be a much stronger side than the one that lost to Villa and he will have Joe Gomez alongside him.
Gomez has struggled for game time this campaign and should be kept in the side to make sure his fine run of form carries on. He will be one of the leaders in charge of keeping this young back four in check – but the former Charlton man will be helped by James Milner.
Milner normally plays during the cup fixtures as Klopp likes to put the old head in with the youngsters. Milly’s leadership and experience are vital and will help usher the team towards victory and the next round.
He’ll come in for Andy Robertson at left-back, a position he knows well.
Pedro Chirivella, Adam Lallana, Curtis Jones
Adam Lallana will anchor the youthful midfield and that includes two Academy graduates. Lallana has started to look more comfortable in his deep-lying playmaker role and should be given the chance to continue with that on Sunday.
Lallana has entered the last six months of his contract, and although the Reds want him to stay, the former Southampton man wants to play first team football during his final few years and we can’t begrudge him that.
Chirivella will probably be in his final half-season of Liverpool life, but for a different reason. The 22-year-old has some first team experience, mainly in the Eredivisie, and is never going to break through on a regular basis. But with injuries to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita, he gets a chance here.
Curtis Jones is at the other end of his Anfield career and may go out on loan in January. But until that happens, he will be given the opportunity to impress from midfield. Jones can play on the left wing, but with Takumi Minamino in the squad the forward places have been used up.
Herbie Kane was another that could have been considered, but he’s finally got the first team football he deserves with a loan move to Hull City.
Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi, Harvey Elliot
Harvey Elliot made his Premier League debut for Liverpool when he came on for the last few minutes against Sheffield, and he will get his chance to carry on accumulating minutes against Everton on Sunday.
Elliot has been a fixture during the Carabao Cup run and has looked good – has threatened to score – without ever hitting the back of the net. But that lack of composure in front of goal is understandable, given his young age.
Minamino can play anywhere across the front three and should pop up on the left wing here. Over the course of his career, the Japanese international has 84 times on the left, 50 times on the right, 42 times as a forward and 34 as an attacking midfielder.
This versatility will please Klopp, and the German will pick the former Salzburg man on the left of the front three.
That means Divock Origi comes in as the main forward. Origi has played well whenever he’s been given the chance, which have been few and far between after his excellent double against Everton in the league.
Rhian Brewster, who is available for this, will start on the bench and you can bet he’ll be introduced later in the fixture.
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