Liverpool have Thiago Alcantara scenario they might never have imagined

Selection headaches are never a problem for managers despite the connotations. Picking starting line-ups, who’ll be on the bench and who may have to be omitted can be dilemmas - but it’s the situation every chief covets.

The problem is when availability is at a paucity because of a lengthy injury list. When a team is almost a formality when managers have a headache.

That’s a predicament Jurgen Klopp has found himself in on numerous occasions this season. Fitness issues have been a factor behind the lacklustre form that leaves Liverpool just eighth in the Premier League table. It seems that almost every member of the squad, at some point or another, has faced a period on the sidelines.

However, the injury scenario at Anfield is as healthy as it could be this term. Stefan Bajcetic and Calvin Ramsay won’t play again, while Naby Keita is nursing a muscle problem. Other than that, Klopp has a full quota of his set-up at his disposal. He said after the 6-1 thrashing of Leeds United earlier this week that he could have picked four line-ups such was the quality of training heading into the encounter.

Indeed, the Liverpool supremo got his tactics spot on. And ahead of the clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Klopp surely won’t make many, if any, changes to his side. That means that Thiago Alcantara could well find himself in an unfamiliar position of featuring on the bench for a third successive game.

Since arriving from Bayern Munich in September 2020, Thiago has been regarded as a cast-iron starter - certainly after the bedding-in period most Klopp signings require. Plenty would concur that he's the Reds' best midfielder by a significant margin. It's not the strongest department at Anfield but Thiago's prowess is revered by plenty. Had it not been for Xavi and Andreas Iniesta, he could well have spent his entire career at Barcelona.

At his swashbuckling best, few players in his position dictate a game like him. How Thiago can control the speed of play, slowing things down and then cranking up the pace at an instant is akin to Derren Brown toying with his audience under hypnosis. Even despite only playing 25 times in the Premier League last season, it was still enough to be voted into the PFA Team of the Year by his colleagues. Evidently, even opponents couldn’t help but be awe-inspired by his prowess.

However, availability is a chief reason why, despite his marvelling performances, he’s struggled to truly endear himself to the Kop faithful. Thiago has had far too many spells on the treatment table.

After making his return from a two-month hip injury in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal, it was widely expected that Thiago would come back into the starting line-up against Leeds. With a full week of training behind him, that would have likely deemed him ready to feature from the outset again. Yet it was a six-minute cameo that Thiago was reduced to at Elland Road. He was the last of the five substitutes to enter the fray during the romp.

Klopp stuck with the same team he deployed against Arsenal. The task of playing the role of conductor in the middle of the park was again tasked to Trent Alexander-Arnold. While he functioned in his usual right-back role out of possession, on the ball he sauntered into the engine room. Liverpool switched to a 3-2-5 system when they were in control with Alexander-Arnold pulling the strings. That he did with aplomb. The England international had a total of 151 touches, made 121 passes and crucially registered two assists.

Playing in a double pivotal alongside Fabinho allowed Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones to take up an advanced role and contribute in attack.

Where Thiago could fit into that system is a pertinent question. The Spain international is not someone who'd shield the back four nor is he a player who could move into advanced roles. With Klopp finding the formula he’s yearned for all season, Thiago may have to wait for his chance.