Jurgen Klopp might be about to unleash Liverpool tactic that’s never been seen before

Liverpool's surprise opening-day draw at Fulham will still rankle Jurgen Klopp.

From kick-off at Craven Cottage - with Trent Alexander-Arnold giving the ball away cheaply - to the final whistle, the Reds boss was irked by his side's performance.

No results are a guarantee in the Premier League, of course. It's called the best division in the world for a reason.

Still, against a newly-promoted side, Liverpool should have been putting newly-promoted Fulham to the sword.

Certainly, Klopp now has much to ponder ahead of the Reds' next game against Crystal Palace on Monday.

Squad decisions

Whether to fast-track Darwin Nunez into his starting line-up is one decision he'll be mulling over.

It's seemingly been Liverpool's plan to be patient with the £85 million summer signing but he's now twice made a seismic difference as a substitute.

What's more, the Reds' midfield will undergo a change.

Klopp will be forced into at least one switch after Thiago Alcantara limped off against Fulham. The Spain international is reportedly set for six weeks on the sidelines.

But even before Thiago hobbed off on the banks of the River Thames, Klopp might have been weighing up a rejig.

Excellent Elliott

If there was a Player of Pre-Season award given out, Harvey Elliott would have been a leading front-runner.

Certainly, after suffering a horrific ankle injury at Leeds United last September that all-but decimated his season, he's come back in flying form.

Right from the opening friendly of the summer against Manchester United, the 19-year-old displayed his dazzling skills in a 30-minute cameo.

He continued to do so for the remaining friendly matches, culminating in a stylish second-half performance against Strasbourg.

It was Elliott called from the bench to replace Thiago in the engine room at Fulham.

A few years ago, he would have dreamt of pulling on the white and black of the Cottagers in a Premier League opening fixture never mind the red of the team he grew up supporting.

Yet at his tender age, Elliott is a firm member of Klopp's squad.

And it was his impact off the bench which helped Liverpool earn a point.

Nunez understandably grabbed the majority of headlines but Elliott's impact shouldn’t go undervalued.

It was his intelligent, sweeping pass which found Salah out wide, which led to the cross for Nunez's equaliser.

And in the dying embers, Elliott showed nimble footwork to get away from two Fulham defenders and tee-up Jordan Henderson, who crashed an effort against the crossbar.

It was the exact impact Klopp required to ensure Liverpool didn't begin the campaign with what would have been a sobering defeat.

After a bright performance, Elliott has surely given his boss food for thought.

New-look midfield

Indeed, there needs to be a change of personnel in the engine room against Palace with Thiago absent.

Henderson was the solitary member of the trio who started at Craven Cottage to feature for 90 minutes.

Thiago hobbled off in the 50th minute before Fabinho was hooked in the 59th minute after a rare impotent outing.

However, Fabinho is a cast-iron starter in Klopp's squad. An off-day can be forgiven. He's the police enforcer who snuffs out the danger.

Bringing Naby Keita into the middle of the park may be something the Liverpool boss debates to replace Thiago.

The Guinea international missed the Fulham game due to illness but is expected to be fit for the upcoming game.

There are doubts around whether Henderson is as effective playing on the left-hand side of the midfield whereas it's a role Keita is well accustomed to.

And with Thiago's creativity being effaced, Elliott could instead provide the spark on the right-hand side - where he'd link up with Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Indeed, if Klopp selected the triumvirate in midfield, it would be a brand-new partnership.

In a period of precarity when it comes to the engine room, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones also unavailable, the combination of Fabinho, Keita and Elliott could allay fears.