Kelleher Bradley Quansah Virgil Tsmikas Endo McConnell Clark Elliott Gakpo Diaz Virgil and Konate do 45 minutes each. Endo and Mac Allister 45 minutes each. Nunez plays the last 30 minutes. Szobo plays the last 30 minutes. Will Salah be available for the bench? Get a decent result in Prague so we can finish the job at Anfield. Edit: I forgot about Jayden Danns as an option. I would love to see him involved.
going to be another rotation-based game as you note. I think we may be looking to hold a draw in this game - or nick a win. I don't think it will be a walkover and even less so with the mix and match lineup.
I've only been to Prague once. It would be nice to go back, but Thursday is a bit too soon given I need to renew my passport. Oh well. The boys will just have to win without me in attendance.
Cody's played a million minutes recently, and it shows. I'd give him the night off completely and let Danns do the 90. edit: I'd like to see Joe get the night off as well.
I'd start strong-ish and try bringing back a 2 or 3 goal advantage with the view to resting more in the home tie, also 1 eye has to be on City just 3 days later. Kelleher, Gomez Konate Quansah Tsimikas, Endo Szobo Mac, Gakpo Danns Nunez
I think Gakpo depends on if we can get Salah back for Sunday. If Sunday can be Salah, Nunez, Diaz we can ask Gakpo to go again here. If Gakpo is going to start the weekend, I agree that he could use a rest. I also agree on Gomez. I think he will start against City so he gets rested here.
Jolly good. The team are flying out in the next few hours aren't they? Be interested to see if he's included with the travelling party or if he'll stay behind at Kirkby to step up his training.
Liverpool travelling squad: Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Adrian, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Robertson, Clark, Gordon, McConnell, Kelleher, Koumas, Quansah, Bradley, Musialowski, Mrozek.
Liverpool can reach two goalscoring milestones when they face Sparta Prague in the Europa League, while an impressive defensive statistic could also be achieved. Liverpool are now only two goals short of scoring 1,000 under Klopp, while one more is needed to get to 250 in the three guises of this competition. They have also scored in 51 of their last 52 games, which bodes well. As an added aside, the Reds could keep a fourth consecutive clean sheet for the first time since April 2022.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening, Klopp noted: “We obviously watched Sparta now and it was interesting, [it was] an intense week for them as well. “Two games against Slavia [Prague], so obviously a pretty special week. One game, the cup, they won and the other game they kept the distance in the table with a draw, so that’s obviously very helpful. “Since the manager [Brian Priske] is in, things turned around, which you can see. Becoming champions after such a long time, you can see that in the confidence the team is playing with, a clear idea, very intense. “But our idea is always a little bit like [that] – and I don’t want to get it misunderstood – they never played us. So, as good as they are – and they are good – we will see how it will work out. “How Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] said, we expect a really tough game, but that means we expect from ourselves that we will play a top game and if we can do that it is not a joy to play against us, so that’s what we hope. “Sparta are obviously in a very good moment and I think everybody who is with Sparta would say the exactly the same.” Klopp insisted there is no chance of the Reds’ immediate focus being fixed on anything other than Thursday’s assignment in Prague. The manager continued: “As far as I know it is the only game we play tomorrow night so that’s the most important game we have. We don’t make any difference. “We would not have won the League Cup, we would not be in the next round of the FA Cup, we would not still be in the Europa League if we would prioritise a competition. “We never did – maybe it would be smart if we do it, but I am a bit dumb so I don’t know how to do that, and we go in each game with all we have and hopefully you will see that tomorrow night. That’s the target.”
Clean Sheet? I thought it was a Klopp plan to give up an early goal so the team will fight harder in the second half then get the winner in the 93rd minute.
I think it’s more that he thinks his players need this game to be in rhythm for City. Klopp’s teams have always peaked when they are playing lots of games. Rhythm is more important than rest is the conclusion I make from this lineup.
If you're a player, you want to be playing in all these games. You'll take it a bit easier on your training days so you can have your legs for the games. That said, please don't risk Mo. Let him shake off the rust in the first 15 minutes of the citeh game than risk him here.