Jurgen Klopp’s reign as Liverpool manager has so far only yielded three draws, but a first win is a strong possibility on Wednesday night when the Reds host lowly Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup.
Bournemouth’s confidence is likely to be low after losing 5-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Klopp has hinted that he will rotate his squad for the midweek match. He is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: “It’s a very, very important game. But I know we have a lot of games in the legs so we have to change.”
For what it’s worth, here’s how we expect Liverpool’s starting XI to look against the Cherries…
GK: Adam Bogdan
Liverpool’s no.2 goalkeeper was the penalty-shootout hero as the Reds edged past Carlisle United in the last round.
RB: Connor Randall
Nathaniel Clyne has played every minute of every Premier League game so far this season. The Reds’ other senior right-back, Jon Flanagan, is still injured, so 20-year-old Randall could make his debut as Clyne takes a much-needed rest.
LB: Jose Enrique
The Spaniard was banished by former manager Brendan Rodgers, who did not include him in Liverpool’s Europa League squad, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. As a result, Enrique was ineligible to play against Rubin Kazan. Klopp may have wanted to use Enrique against Kazan – because Alberto Moreno could use a break – but he was unable to.
Enrique is available in the Capital One Cup and this game seems like a perfect chance for Klopp to bring him back into the first-team fold.
A good performance against Bournemouth could convince Klopp to add Enrique to his European squad when the registration window reopens in the New Year.
CBs: Dejan Lovren and Kolo Toure
Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho are Liverpool’s preferred centre-back pairing, but Lovren and Toure should be strong enough to keep Bournemouth’s attack quiet. The Cherries just don’t look the same side since Callum Wilson got injured.
CMs: Joe Allen and Lucas Leiva
Allen needs a game, while the presence of Lucas should be enough to see the Reds win the midfield battle.
AM: Jordon Ibe
The speedy winger has been one of Liverpool’s most-used subs this season, coming off the bench six times. However, it is likely that he will be involved from the start as a result of Klopp’s tinkering.
AM: Roberto Firmino
Firmino is steadily improving. Could this be the game in which he scores his first Liverpool goal?
AM: Adam Lallana
Lallana has probably been the most impressive player during Klopp’s brief time at Anfield, so the boss may opt to keep him in the side to ensure Liverpool aren’t too disrupted by rotation. They want to win after all!
ST: Christian Benteke
Benteke made a huge impact after coming off the bench in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Southampton. If he starts, Bournemouth’s backline will have to be at their very best to keep him quiet.