Liverpool return to action this evening as they take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, their first game back from the World Cup break.
The Reds travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Pep Guardiola’s side with the two rivals set for another clash.
This is the first competitive game for both clubs following the end of the World Cup.
The two teams have been playing friendlies to get themselves ready but nothing can really prepare the players for the battle of a City v Liverpool game.
Jurgen Klopp will now have to decide who is ready to play after their World Cup commitments, with some young players potentially in contention.
Predicted Liverpool lineup v Manchester City
Alisson has been back in training this week after playing for Brazil in Qatar, but Caoimhin Kelleher is Liverpool’s cup goalkeeper.
We’re backing the Irishman to start against City, with Alisson potentially on the bench.
We can’t see Virgil van Dijk starting tonight having recently played for the Netherlands at the World Cup.
Joe Gomez and Joel Matip should be pretty fresh having not been a part of the World Cup, so we’re backing them to start.
Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas were in a similar boat and we’re backing the Scot to get the nod.
Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t take on a big workload in Qatar and he may well be ready to feature tonight.
We’re still going with James Milner at right back though, allowing Alexander-Arnold to be completely fresh ahead of facing Aston Villa.
Brazil midfielder Fabinho returned to training a couple of days ago but this could be a perfect chance to give Stefan Bajcetic a start.
Harvey Elliott and Thiago Alcantara would then be favourites to join him in midfield having not been selected for World Cup duty.
Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino similarly weren’t in World Cup action and should be primed to start in the Liverpool attack.
Darwin Nunez will be pushing for a start, but we’ll go with Fabio Carvalho to start on the left flank, saving Nunez a little for the Villa clash.
Youngsters Ben Doak and Bobby Clark look primed for spots on the bench, joining the likes of Alisson, Tsimikas, Nunez, Calvin Ramsay, Nat Phillips, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in this situation.
Predicted Liverpool lineup: Kelleher; Milner, Gomez, Matip, Robertson; Bajcetic, Thiago, Elliott; Salah, Firmino, Carvalho.
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