This weekend’s inaugural Merseyside derby will mark Liverpool’s triumphant return to play.
The 13th early Premier League kickoff for the Reds during Jurgen Klopp’s time at Anfield will take place on Saturday, immediately following the international break. In the same time frame, no other side had more than six.
That number will shortly rise to 14, with Liverpool also chosen for a lunchtime match against Manchester City following next month’s internationals.
Although Klopp and co. did exorcise some demons with a 3-1 victory over Wolves back in September, the Reds record is notoriously (and predictably) spotty in the dreaded 12:30 Saturday time slot (played six, won zero last season).
Liverpool had a lot of problems with that game, despite the hard-fought victory.
Having played in high-altitude Bolivia just three days prior, Alexis Mac Allister was hooked at halftime, with Klopp conceding that the Argentine international was ‘exhausted’.
After the game, Klopp stated: “He was finished. He received a yellow card and was already worn out in the first half.
“We noticed during the week when he had the oxygen mask on; I thought a couple of times that they should have left it on a little bit longer – it might have helped! We know how good Alexis is, in the first half his decision-making. It was just difficult.
“He didn’t seem too upset when we brought him away. I believe he felt somewhat relieved.”
As a result of their midweek travel and lack of preparation time, the Reds’ other two South American outfield studs, Darwin Nuez and Luis Diaz, only made a brief appearance off the bench.
Aside from Andy Robertson’s sad shoulder injury, Liverpool may be in an even more difficult selection situation for the Merseyside derby.
Mac Allister, Diaz, and Nuez all played 90 minutes in the most recent round of World Cup qualifiers early on Wednesday morning (BST), and they will miss most, if not all, of the week’s pre-match training at the AXA training facility.
More concerningly, the in-form striker acknowledged to have a “cramp” at the conclusion of the game as his nation won for the first time against its neighbours Brazil since 2001.
Klopp may want to be more cautious for the high-octane, physical match that the derby almost usually is after trying to start Mac Allister under similar circumstances a month ago.
Wataru Endo may be in line for a rare start despite the ongoing discussion about Liverpool’s best option in the base of the midfield. However, if Nuez and Diaz are unable to start, Liverpool’s attacking depth will suffer significantly.
Under normal conditions, Cody Gakpo would be the obvious choice to lead the line because he was in the starting lineup for the Reds’ victory over Wolves in September and scored the Reds’ equaliser after 55 minutes.
However, the Dutchman’s knee injury from the loss to Tottenham last month is still bothering him.
Klopp even noted Everton’s visit as a potential return date in an effort to allay concerns that the 24-year-old’s problem is serious. Gakpo, who skipped international duty, could be a risk if he is brought in too soon.
Young Ben Doak also sustained an injury while playing for the Scotland Under-21s, leaving only Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota as Liverpool’s first-team attackers who do not have an asterisk next to their names. Supporters are eagerly awaiting any updates from Jurgen Klopp’s press conference on Friday.
The likelihood is that at least one of Diaz, Nuez, or Gakpo will have to be risked from the start despite any potential fitness problems unless the manager decides to experiment and move one of Dominik Szoboszlai or Harvey Elliott into a more advanced role.
These are the difficulties brought on by the early start following the internationals, which is far from ideal.
Who is eagerly anticipating Man City’s away game next month?