This weekend, Liverpool and neighbours Everton will engage in a much-awaited Merseyside derby, which will be broadcast live on talkSPORT.
There’s more at stake than just bragging rights when the Reds and Toffees square off at opposite ends of the Premier League once more.
7Gravenberch has hit the ground running at his new clubCredit: Getty
7Robertson will play no part after picking up an injuryCredit: Getty
Liverpool are currently fourth in the Premier League and have lost just one of their previous 25 Merseyside derbies.
But after a strong start to the season, the club picked up just one point from six before the break and need to return to winning ways.
In contrast, after little to show from their opening games, Everton have won two of their last three in the league.
Liverpool
Klopp has a number of major decisions to make for his starting XI after several serious injuries to key players.
Andy Robertson is set for a long spell on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury suffered during Scotland’s game against Spain.
The simplest change would be a like-for-like swap with his deputy Kostas Tsimikas and that may indeed prove to be what Klopp does.
But the Greek international has flattered to deceive this season in the Europa League and was directly at fault for Leicester’s opener at Anfield in Liverpool’s 3-1 Carabao Cup comeback win last month.
This may open the door for Joe Gomez to start at left-back instead, where he first broke into the Liverpool team under Brendan Rodgers.
Gomez was assured when covering for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s recent hamstring injury and his sharper defensive skills may be needed against a counter-attacking Everton side.
His presence would also afford his England colleague the license to flourish in his inverted role and try and open up the Toffees.
Joel Matip has been favoured as the first-choice partner for captain Virgil van Dijk ahead of Ibrahima Konate, while summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have cemented their spots in Klopp’s three-man midfield.
7Tsimikas is looking to take advantage of Robertson’s recent injuryCredit: AFP
Curtis Jones is still serving the second of his three-match suspension following his red card in the 2-1 defeat away at Tottenham.
Harvey Elliott was given the nod to replace him in the 2-2 draw at Brighton but was replaced at half-time by Ryan Gravenberch.
Former Bayern Munich star Gravenberch impressed once again off the bench and is likely to be handed his first Premier League start having not been chosen for international duty by the Netherlands.
In attack, Mohamed Salah will likely be flanked once again by Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.
7Mac Allister struggled due to a lack of fitness during a 12:30 kick-off after an international breakCredit: TNT Sports
The latter duo were both rested by Klopp last month when they were away in South America on international duty ahead of a 12:30 kickoff.
Colombian winger Diaz and Uruguay striker Nunez both came off the bench in the 2-1 win away at Wolves but the derby will eliminate any additional travelling they will have to make and boost their chances of playing.
A lack of other options may also force Klopp’s hands with Cody Gakpo only just returning to training this week.
Diogo Jota is back from a one-match suspension and is capable of playing on the left or centrally should either Diaz or Nunez be unavailable.
Gravenberch is set to start his first Premier League game
Everton
With Dele Alli, Seamus Coleman, and Andre Gomes all out, the Toffees have a much clearer idea of how they want to lineup.
Jordan Pickford, the goalkeeper, has started all four of the Blues’ Premier League games with the same starting lineup.
James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite have developed a strong relationship, with Ashley Young and Vitaliy Mykolenko on either side.
After being hurt during the warm-up, Idrissa Gana Gueye, who had been named in Dyche’s starting lineup for the 3-0 victory over Bournemouth, had to leave the game.
But it was a minor problem, and Gueye should be back at the center of Everton’s midfield soon.
Everton has had a dismal start to the season.Regards: GettyBefore Gueye got hurt, Amadou Onana was supposed to be the fall guy to sit out the match against Bournemouth.But because of his physicality, the Belgian international is still frequently chosen over James Garner for the central position while playing away from home.Having been forced to play out wide for the majority of the season, former Manchester United prodigy Garner scored on his first start in central midfield against the Cherries and had a chance to influence Dyche’s decision.Dyche makes very straightforward decisions for the most part, with Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison acting as his wingmen.And since Dominic Calvert-Lewin got back to full fitness, Abdoulaye Doucoure has been enjoying working alongside him once more.
Dyche faces a difficult decision on who starts in midfield.