Liverpool will host Mikel Arteta's incredibly on-form Arsenal side at Anfield for their Premier League showdown this afternoon and Jurgen Klopp will surely be desperate to give the home support something to believe in following a disappointing campaign so far.
The Reds are 13 points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four ahead of their clash with the Gunners, whilst their opponents will be heading to Merseyside with one thing on their mind – improving their lead in the top spot to avoid Manchester City closing in on them over the remaining fixtures of the season.
Indeed, Klopp knows exactly what it feels like to be looking over his shoulder for Pep Guardiola's formidable side, so attempting to put a dent in the North London club's challenge for the title will likely present a tough game for the Merseysiders.
In terms of injuries, Calvin Ramsay, Stefan Bajcetic and Naby Keita remain unavailable for selection, whereas Luis Diaz is continuing to build his fitness to get back to action but is confirmed to be unlikely to appear until the Leeds United game.
However, Klopp did hint in his pre-match press conference that two key players could make an appearance today, with the long-awaited return of Thiago Alcantara imminent and Virgil van Dijk ready to play following a bout of illness:
"Virgil, completely normal, he was back in training,"
“Luis and Thiago training completely normal too. The plan with Luis is that he will be available 100 per cent for Leeds (on April 17)."
"Thiago looks slightly different. He was not out that long, trained now three or four times with the team and he might be available. But we have to check how he feels."
How could Liverpool line up vs Arsenal?
Kloop could make as many as six changes to the team that drew with Chelsea earlier this week, maintaining his classic 4-3-3 formation.
The first of which may see a complete overhaul of the defensive set-up, with only Ibrahima Konate retaining his spot in the back four alongside Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, who will reprise their roles at Anfield.
Unlike his fellow returnees, the £100k-per-week Scotland captain – once hailed "clever" by Gary Neville – did make a 24-minute cameo against Chelsea after Kostas Tsimikas was hooked for a disappointing display.
The fourth and fifth changes may come in midfield after the side found themselves overrun in the middle third on many occasions in west London, with Thiago and Harvey Elliott joining Jordan Henderson to complete the midfield.
The sixth and final change is an inevitable one with Egyptian goal machine Mohammed Salah returning to the starting eleven alongside an otherwise unchanged attacking force completed by Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez.
Predicted Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Thiago, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Firmino
