Jurgen Klopp promises some changes to his starting XI tomorrow, when his side makes the trip to seventh place Burnley. Some changes will be forced, while others we be by choice. High flying winger Mohamed Salah remains a doubt, with his fitness to be re-assessed as kickoff draws closer.
As elite as Salah has played lately, his best football could still be in front of him, Klopp says. Klopp has confirmed that Simon Mignolet will be his #1 on New Year’s Day, after Loris Karius was in goal for the come from behind win against Leicester.
As the festive period fixture congestion winds down, Jurgen Klopp reflected on a year ago at this time. The Reds beat Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, and then had just a 44 hour turnaround before their draw with Sunderland. The German says he will make more changes this time than he did a year ago.
“It was a strange game. To be honest, the last game we played in the old year, City, was fantastic, very intense,” Klopp said.
“I’m sure there were a few players on the bench who were not used but we played absolutely OK or more than OK in Sunderland. They had two penalties, oh my God, and that doesn’t help, to be honest.
“It was a strange football day for us. We were fresh enough, fit enough for that game, but it’s different. Sunderland that year and Burnley now is completely different. I don’t know exactly how many changes we will make, but I would say, for sure, more than one.”
The Clarets come into this one just three points behind Tottenham Hotspur for sixth place, and seven behind the Reds for fourth.
We’ll have the Liverpool starting XI prediction and match injury/fitness report for you here shortly.
Odds: Liverpool- 1/2, Burnley- 13/2, Draw- 7/2
Prediction: Liverpool 4, Burnley 3
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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