Up next for Liverpool, as they continue their quest to end their league title drought, is a visit to the south coast where they’ll take on AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries are led by Eddie Howe, a manager whose name has been linked with a lot of the biggest open managerial jobs in world football right now.
However, it doesn’t look like he’ll be going anywhere, and he’ll lead his club into this clash at home against the league leaders sitting in 14th place. He’ll have a host of fitness concerns for this match, including David Brooks (ankle), Junior Stanislas (knee), Josh King (hamstring, both 14 Dec), Charlie Daniels (knee), Adam Smith (ankle), Steve Cook (wrist) and Andrew Surman (knee). All are out injured for this one.
Meanwhile Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson is ineligible, as he cannot face his parent club.
Shifting over to the visitors, they have three fitness concerns, Joel Matip (knee), Nathaniel Clyne (knee) and Fabinho (ankle). The last two are out until the new year while Matip could be ready to go in a week or so. With that all in mind, let’s take a look at who Jurgen Klopp may select for his first team in this one.
Liverpool FC Starting XI Prediction at AFC Bournemouth
Mane Firmino Salah
Wijnaldum Henderson Oxlade-Chamberlain
Robertson Van Dijk Lovren Alexander-Arnold
Alisson
Liverpool at Bournemouth FYIs
Kickoff: Dean Court, Saturday December 7th, 3pm
Google Result Probability: Liverpool win 70%, Draw 18%, Bournemouth win 12%
Odds: Liverpool win 1/2, Draw 4/1, Bournemouth win 13/2
Form Guide: Liverpool WWWWW AFC Bournemouth LLLLW
Prediction: Liverpool 2, Bournemouth 0
This one should not be close at all; the Reds have too many advantages in talent, but also in depth due to a great disparity in roster fitness.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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