Liverpool predicted lineup vs Brighton - FA Cup
Liverpool travel south for a meeting with Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.
A trip to the south coast is prime PTSD material for a Liverpool side that got thumped 3-0 by the Seagulls just two weeks ago. Yet, whoever their opponent was this particular weekend may have conjured bad memories. Under Jurgen Klopp, the Reds have lost four of their last six matches in the FA Cup fourth round.
Here's the XI Klopp may deploy to prevent another early exit.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Brighton
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher - When he can, Klopp tends to rest the overworked Alisson in cup competitions, giving Kelleher the chance of a starting berth.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold - He wasn't the first and nor will he be the last right-back to endure the dizzying weaving of Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma. Alexander-Arnold is up against a winger schooled in the art of dribbling; quite literally, Mitoma wrote his graduation thesis from the University of Tsukuba on dribbling.
CB: Ibrahima Konate - The anime-enthusiast celebrated his first (and so far only) FA Cup goal against Manchester City last season with a nod to Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan.
CB: Joe Gomez - Across 201 senior appearances for club and country, Gomez has scored exactly zero goals.
LB: Andy Robertson - Last season, Robertson was the only player that created more than one FA Cup goal for Liverpool through their successful trophy run. He is yet to get off the mark this term.
CM: Naby Keita - The former RB Leipzig midfielder would not have been fazed by Klopp's gregarious approach to his players. If anything, his manager in Germany, Ralf Rangnick, was even more partial to a tight squeeze. “Rangnick told me I was like a koala that you want to hug," Keita explained at the time. "He often hugs me."
CM: Stefan Bajcetic - Freshly tied down to a new long-term contract, Bajcetic could be in line for a third consecutive start.
CM: Thiago - The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder has played in and won the final of the domestic cup in Spain, Germany and England.
RW: Mohamed Salah - With two new - and often changeable - partners alongside Salah in Liverpool's front three, Klopp conceded that his out-of-form forward is "suffering".
ST: Darwin Nunez - The chaotic forward was raised in Artigas province, as far away from the capital of Uruguay as possible while still within its borders. By 14, Nunez had moved to Montevideo to begin a playing career which has taken him even further away from his home on the Brazilian border.
LW: Cody Gakpo - Two weeks ago, Gakpo made his Premier League debut against Brighton only to be part of a humiliating 3-0 loss. A fortnight on, he is still waiting for a maiden goal or assist for his new side.
