Ian Doyle - Gomez can count himself fortunate
Strange a Merseyside derby where Everton visit Anfield in relegation zone but will rather fancy their chances of getting a victory, let alone a point.
But such are the difficult times for Liverpool, who genuinely look like a team who have no idea how they can win a game. And that means time for some changes.
I'd bring Nat Phillips in to replace Joel Matip at centre-back, although Joe Gomez can count himself fortunate to still be in there given neither he nor Matip were better than awful at Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out. The rest of the defence can stay the same, however.
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The injury to Thiago Alcantara leaves Liverpool with a bit of a headache in midfield. Jordan Henderson can come back in, and Stefan Bajcetic stays. But I want more legs in the engine room, and that means Curtis Jones starting ahead of Naby Keita.
Up front, Harvey Elliott was very unlucky not to start at Wolves and can return on the left flank. Mohamed Salah while most certainly not in form, stays on the right, with Captain Chaos himself, Darwin Nunez, leading the line.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Phillips, Robertson; Bajectic, Henderson, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Elliott.
Paul Gorst - Keeping faith with Matip
The good news is Diogo Jota will be cleared to make his long-awaited return to a Liverpool match-day squad this evening, but there's of course some bad news on the injury front for Jurgen Klopp too.
Thiago Alcantara has now been ruled out having suffered a hip issue, meaning more midfield woe for Klopp to concern himself with. There's no indictment or judgement on Stefan Bajcetic whatsoever but I'm resting the 18-year-old tonight. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will return for me, while Naby Keita keeps his place too. It's the perfect opportunity for both Henderson and Fabinho to play their way back into form tonight.
At the back, I'm resisting the strong claims for Nat Phillips and keeping faith with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, despite their Molineux nightmares last week, particularly the latter.
Up top, Jota will surely not be ready to start given he hasn't played for four months and has only been fit for about five weeks of this season on the whole, so Cody Gakpo again starts alongside Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Keita; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo.
Theo Squires - Bajcetic keeps his place but other changes made in midfield
Liverpool’s season has gone from bad to worse since the restart after the World Cup, but they can’t allow themselves to sink any lower in Monday’s Merseyside derby against Everton. It’s a must-win and changes have to be made.
It would be easy to drop either Joe Gomez or Joel Matip after their dismal showings in the 3-0 loss away at Wolves. If Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate were fit, they’d both be axed.
Instead, it’s only Nat Phillips in reserve so he starts and partners Gomez, on the basis that he boasts more pace than Matip. It might only be a second league start of the season for the former, but he brings some much-needed leadership and no-nonsense defending to the backline.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson survive the axe, in hope that locking horns with Everton under the Anfield lights inspires them. James Milner was considered at right-back, having not let anyone down when turned to recently and with Everton hardly the fastest side, but he can instead captain the team in midfield.
Stefan Bajcetic keeps his place as the holding midfielder, but Naby Keita drops out alongside the injured Thiago Alcantara. The Guinean hasn’t done enough in his starting run for me, so now it’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s turn in the engine-room. He was playing well enough in attack last month, at least, and is still more than mobile enough to do the job in his favoured role.
Diogo Jota might be back in full training, but he has to make do with a place on the bench. As does Harvey Elliott, who can admittedly feel hard done by. As a result, the front three remains the same as Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo start. All three are in need of a goal and the stage is set for them to write derby headlines. Don’t let us down.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Gomez, Robertson; Milner, Bajcetic, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo.
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