Five Liverpool players set for disappointed vs Man City as Jurgen Klopp ponders decisions

Jurgen Klopp has a full Liverpool squad available and will have to omit four outfield players and a goalkeeper for the trip to Manchester City.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

It’s a game that’s been billed as a Premier League title-decider.

Jurgen Klopp won’t say it. Pep Guardiola won’t say it.

But everyone from the outside looking in sees Liverpool’s trip to Manchester City that way.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Having been 14 points behind at one stage, the Reds have clawed their way back to just a point of the current champions.

A win for Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium will see them move two points ahead. Fate is very much in their own hands.

The Reds couldn’t go into the seismic clash in better form.

Their 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory over Benfica was their fifth straight victory in all competitions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And for successive matches, Liverpool have a fully-fit squad to select from.

In terms of the timing, it couldn't have come much better.

Heading into the biggest game of the season and amid a hectic period, Klopp will be delighted.

Rotation and ensuring players are fresh is a commodity that is often not afforded to managers throughout a campaign.

But, as a result, Klopp will have to omit four outfield players from his squad against City along with third-choice keeper Adrian.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Despite the Champions League permitting 12 substitutes, Divock Origi still could not make the set-up against Benfica.

The striker has been a bit-part player all season and is strongly rumoured to be joining AC Milan on a free transfer in the summer.

Takumi Minamino has also been on the fringes of things throughout the campaign.

The Japan international hasn't made a Premier League appearance since February.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Harvey Elliott's struggled to have a similar impact that he made at the beginning of the term since recovering from his ankle injury.

The teenager made a surprise appearance for the under-23s in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea last weekend.

Joe Gomez had two solid games deputising for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

But with Alexander-Arnold back fit, Gomez finds himself back down the pecking order as fourth-choice centre-back.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Klopp may decide he does not need another defender on the bench alongside either Ibou Konate/ Joel Matip and Kostas Tsimikas.

The Liverpool boss, however, may well look to omit a centre-midfielder.

The Reds are awash with options in the middle of the park.

If that is the case then Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who's been out of favour for the majority of the season, could be surplus to requirements.

Curtis Jones, who started last week's 2-0 victory over Watford, has also been left out on occasions this term.

It's the sort of dilemma that every manager wishes for.

While Klopp won't take relish delivering the news to the unlucky quartet, he'd rather that than have threadbare options to select from.