Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Gorst

Jurgen Klopp's midfield decision is no-brainer but Diogo Jota poses key question for Liverpool

While Liverpool supporters will likely spend the rest of the season cherishing events at Anfield on Sunday, the focus has already turned for those on the inside.

The 7-0 hammering of Manchester United will echo for decades but Jurgen Klopp's focus has now moved to Saturday lunchtime's trip to Bournemouth as they look to continue their push for the top four.

With no midweek game to contend with this time out, Klopp's players have the luxury of a six-day gap between fixtures, meaning, theoretically, there may not be too many changes from the astonishing demolition of United.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk reveals Liverpool dressing room reaction to Roberto Firmino exit in emotional tribute

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson fume as Man United star left howling in frustration

The only real question at the back is how Ibrahima Konate is having played 90 minutes in successive games last week against Wolves and United. The France international hasn't played a whole lot of Premier League football this term, so he will need to be carefully managed given his importance to a defence that is in fine form at present.

Having kept five successive clean sheets in the league, however, there seems to be little need to tweak things too much, so expect Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson to continue on the south coast, injury permitting, of course.

In midfield, there are strong claims for Stefan Bajcetic to return to the side after his encouraging cameo off the bench on Sunday but it would seem harsh to drop out any of the three who started on Sunday, with Harvey Elliott, in particular, turning in one of his best performances as a Liverpool player.

Naby Keita could come back into contention this week depending on the severity of his latest ailment but Thiago Alcantara is not expected to be declared fit as he battles back from a hip complaint. Curtis Jones and James Milner came off the bench on Sunday but with the Reds engine room purring like never before this season, it would seem strange for Klopp to make any major changes for this trip to Gary O'Neil's side.

In fact, considering midfield has regularly given the manager a headache virtually every week, might this one be a no-brainer for the manager?

Up top, the question is whether it's time to bring Diogo Jota back in for another start? The Portugal international has started two games since his return after four months out with a serious calf injury but given the confidence that Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah will take from their respective braces against United, though, would it make sense to keep all three in place for Bournemouth?

Luis Diaz continues to work towards his own comeback and Klopp is likely to deliver an update on the Colombia international's fitness when he speaks to the media on Friday but after such a long time out, having suffered a knee issue at Arsenal in early October before undergoing surgery in December, it might be next season when the Reds see the best of the former Porto winger.

Roberto Firmino, who is entering the final months of his eight-year spell at Liverpool, did score from the bench against United, of course, but it seems likely that the Brazil international is likely to continue his role as deputy for now as the Reds head down south in a rich vein of form by this season's standards.

This could be, in all actuality, one of the easiest Klopp teams of the season. Liverpool unchanged?

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.