The FA Cup third round (pending no required replays) concludes with Liverpool FC visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night. It remains to be seen how serious Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will take this competition, given how he has one eye on the Premier League title race and the other on the UEFA Champions League competition.
Klopp is still searching for his first trophy since he moved to Anfield and the Liverpool title drought is, well, extensively documented.
This could be a tough match-up for the Reds, as it’s a series in which they are on the losing side overall.
On the other hand, they did beat Wolves 2-0 earlier this season in league play, so they should be pretty confident heading into this clash. Let’s take a look at the fitness situation for both teams, starting with the visitors.
Centre-backs Joe Gomez (leg) and Joel Matip (collarbone) are both out of contention for this one, and not likely to return until later in January. The Merseyside club will of course be without their usual list of long term absentees as well.
As for Wolves, they will likely be at full fitness for this one, as Traore and Diogo Jota came back to the team in the 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on January 2.
Liverpool FC at Wolverhampton Wanderers FYIs
Kick-off: 7:45 pm (BST), Monday January 7, Molineux
Liverpool Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Series History: Wolverhampton wins- 50, draws- 17, Liverpool wins- 35
Prediction: Liverpool 2, Wolverhampton 1
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.