The Liverpool Lineup That Should Start Against Everton
By Ali Rampling
After three months without football, Liverpool return to the blood and thunder of top flight action with a bang with a trip across Stanley Park to face rivals Everton on Sunday.
Manchester City's midweek win over Arsenal means the Reds cannot seal their maiden Premier League title with three points at Goodison, but a Merseyside derby victory will leave them needing just one more win to be crowned champions of England for the first time in 30 years.
Bar the injured Xherdan Shaqiri, Jurgen Klopp has a fully fit squad at his disposal. So who should get the nod for the Merseyside derby?
Goalkeepers & Defenders
Alisson (GK) - The importance of Allison - long considered the missing piece of the jigsaw when he signed from Roma in 2018 - was reinforced after Adrian's costly blunder against Atletico Madrid. The Liverpool number one has recovered from the hip injury that kept him out of their Champions League second leg defeat and should start on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB) - The fullback has already matched his record-breaking assist haul of 12 from last season, and has featured in every Premier League fixture thus far. He has been one of the most important figures in Liverpool's title charge this season, and as ever will be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Virgil van Dijk (CB) - Last season's PFA Player of the Year should take up his regular starting berth in the heart of the Liverpool backline - unless he's still in pain after Richarlison's cutting pre-match fighting talk.
Joe Gomez (CB) - Most defenders looked good when playing alongside Van Dijk, although Dejan Lovren did go some way to dismissing that theory after his performance against Watford. Gomez has been a mainstay in the Liverpool defence since December and has proved undroppable. The similarly dependable Joel Matip will have to settle for a place on the bench.
Andy Robertson (LB) - Robertson missed Liverpool's thumping 6-0 friendly victory over Blackburn last week, but has trained in full this week, with Klopp confirming he's available for Sunday. The left back has been near-ever present throughout the campaign, missing just one Premier League match all season.
Midfielders
Fabinho (CM) - The defensive midfielder will add a bit of steel, protection and calmness to the Liverpool side, which will no doubt be needed after a three month absence. Fabinho had played the full 90 in the Reds' previous three Premier League outings prior to football's suspension, having successfully recovered from a ligament injury that had kept him out for nearly two months during the winter months.
Jordan Henderson (CM) - Regarded as one of the prime contenders for the PFA Player of the Year Award after a mightily impressive season, the Liverpool captain's absence was just as costly as Lovren's presence during the Reds' defeat to Watford. Henderson had recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the Watford clash before the Premier League's enforced pause, starting against Atletico Madrid.
Georginio Wijnaldum (CM) - It will be interesting to see how the dynamic pairing of Henderson and Wijnaldum fare during their first game back, given they have not played a competitive fixture for three months and rely so heavily on their energy and physical fitness. The Dutch midfielder has only missed one Premier League game all season, and should maintain his usual starting position.
Forwards
Mohamed Salah (FW) - Liverpool's top scorer was a doubt for the Merseyside derby, having sat out the Reds' friendly victory over Blackburn. However, his absence was a mere precaution, with Klopp confirming Salah is fit and available for Sunday. Only Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have more than Salah's 16 Premier League goals this season.
Roberto Firmino (FW) - Firmino has not missed a game in the Premier League this season, and although on paper his return of just eight goals in 29 appearances is far from impressive, this does not tell the whole story. The Brazilian's movement, intelligence and deft flicks are so pivotal to how Liverpool play, making him an integral part of the Red's fearsome front three.
Sadio Mane (FW) - The emergence of Mane's hair was one of the major talking points from Liverpool's return to training, and although that appeared to sadly have been tamed for the Blackburn friendly, the forward's skill and pace will likely not have disappeared. With 14 goals and nine assists in the Premier League thus far, Mane has been exceptional.