Liverpool are back in action in the FA Cup tonight (8pm) just days after winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley. The Reds welcome Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton to Anfield in a fifth-round tie while contending with an injury crisis which could leave them without 13 players against the Saints. Express Sport looks at how Liverpool may line up, with two players set for full debuts and two more set for their first ever appearances for the club…
Goalkeeper: Kelleher
With Alisson out until the end of March, Caoimhin Kelleher will again start in goal after an excellent performance at Wembley. The Irishman’s hard-earned clean sheet against Chelsea was only his third in 16 matches across all competitions this season.
While there may be some temptation to rest him and start third-choice Adrian given Alisson’s injury, Kelleher has made it clear he wants to play regularly and those chances only come when the Brazilian is sidelined. He will get his wish against Southampton.
Defence: Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas
The back-line should be Liverpool’s most senior department. Captain Virgil Van Dijk played 120 minutes in the League Cup final and was the decisive goalscorer. His workload this season should however see him rested in this one.
Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah – who both came off the bench at the weekend – should start in central defence. That would allow Klopp to use Ibrahima Konate only as a second-half substitute.
It was a Kostas Tsimikas corner from which Van Dijk scored at the weekend, and the left-back will replace Andy Robertson against the Saints. Conor Bradley should start again and there will be a plan to bring him off before the 90 minutes are up, given he’ll be needed at Nottingham Forest on Saturday too.
Midfield: McConnell, Clark, Elliott
Ryan Gravenberch is unavailable with a new ligament foot injury while Wataru Endo took a “proper knock”, in the words of Klopp, against Chelsea. Liverpool are already also without Curtis Jones, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield.
Whether Szoboszlai and Endo are deemed fit enough for a place on the bench remains to be seen, but the starting three is likely to be youthful. James McConnell and Bobby Clark will both start after impressive cameos in extra time in London.
It will be only McConnell’s second start, after he played in the 4-2 win over Norwich in the previous round of the FA Cup, while Clark will enjoy his full debut for the club. His eight appearances so far have all been sub cameos.
The relentless Harvey Elliott should also start despite playing 120 minutes in the final. That will be with the view to taking him off for 16-year-old Trey Nyoni in the second half. The teenager, six times an unused first-team sub this season, only joined Liverpool in September but is clearly very highly rated at Anfield and this may be a good chance to give him his debut.
Attack: Gordon, Danns, Gakpo
There could be another full debut in attack. Jayden Danns has come off the bench in the last two matches and will get a start (AKA a full debut) in this one. With Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, like Szoboszlai, battling to be in the squad at all they will surely only feature from the bench if they’re passed fit to play.
Cody Gakpo should start and could operate on the left wing to allow Danns to play in his favoured central role. Lewis Koumas will then likely get minutes from the bench, which would see him make his first senior appearance. Like Nyoni, the young Welshman has been an unused sub twice for the first team.
Gakpo starting will see Luis Diaz rested. The Colombian looked shattered late on against Chelsea, managing the full 120 minutes but ending on nothing more than fumes.
On the right wing, Kaide Gordon should return. Still only 19, Gordon has already managed six senior appearances and scored one goal. He started the Europa League loss away at USG in December but has not played at Anfield in any capacity since January 2022.
Liverpool predicted XI vs Southampton in full: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; McConnell, Clark, Elliott; Gordon, Danns, Gakpo
Potential bench vs Southampton: Adrian; Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Scanlon; Mac Allister, Nyoni; Diaz, Koumas, Kone-Doherty
Full debuts: Clark, Danns
Debuts: Koumas (off the bench), Nyoni (off the bench)
