Jurgen Klopp must make some choices in selecting a Liverpool team to defeat Toulouse because of a few midfield doubts.
Liverpool has won nine out of nine games in the Europa League, making easy work of their competition.
This should enable them to rest important players in their last games, but Klopp will still be aware that they must win the group in order to avoid fellow heavy weight in the knockout round of the competition.
Here is a possible lineup for Liverpool against Toulouse.
Team news
What we gathered from Wednesday training:
- Curtis Jones missed training on Wednesday afternoon and hasn’t travelled with the squad
- Virgil van Dijk isn’t on the plane but there are no injury issues
- Ryan Gravenberch was also absent from training and remains on Merseyside
- Luis Diaz should be available to play but that is subject to the ongoing situation with his father
- Conor Bradley took part in light training but is still some way off a return
Liverpool’s XI vs. Toulouse
With his performance against Bournemouth in the League Cup, Jarell Quansah will feel deserving of a start. Klopp still has defence selections to make.
Joel Matip is expected to feature in this game, as Joe Gomez has participated in the previous two, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have established themselves as the Premier League’s center-back duo.
This is probably how Liverpool will lineup:
- Endo returns to the team after scoring in the home match vs. Toulouse
- Ben Doak is fit to play and replaces Mo Salah on the right
- Mac Allister starts as he is suspended for Sunday’s Premier League match
This is how Liverpool would look:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Mac Allister; Doak, Gakpo, Jota
Of course, Klopp has other choices. After all, the youthful left-back played 67 minutes in the home game against Toulouse two weeks prior. Perhaps he could give Luke Chambers another go.
- Gomez plays right-back with no international duty next week most likely
- Caoimhin Kelleher remains in goal, having started each Europa League game he has been fit for this season
- Diaz feels ready to start a game – his father is still being held hostage
Here’s how this alternate team would look:
Kelleher; Gomez, Matip, Quansah, Chambers; Endo, Elliott, Mac Allister; Doak, Gakpo, Diaz
Due to injuries and other uncontrollable circumstances, this team is a little easier to anticipate than it was in prior weeks’ Europa League games.
Liverpool should have more than enough talent, regardless of the players they start, to defeat Toulouse. But as we all know, that’s not always how football operates.
