Liverpool predicted XI v Sparta Prague: Mohamed Salah to start Europa League clash
Jurgen Klopp is set to ring the changes to his Liverpool starting line-up for their Europa League clash against Sparta Prague at Anfield on Thursday.
The Reds already have one foot firmly in the quarter-finals after winning 5-1 away in the Czech Republic in the first leg of the round-of-16 tie last week.
As a result, Klopp is predicted to rest a good number of his senior stars and hand chances to some of the club’s youngsters impress alongside a returning Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool team news for Europa League clash v Sparta Prague
Alisson, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak and Thiago Alcantara are all set to miss the Anfield clash while Ryan Gravenberch remains a doubt despite being spotted in training at Kirby this week [The Standard].
As a result, Klopp is expected to name six changes from the team that drew with Manchester City at the weekend.
Joe Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominic Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez could all be rested against Sparta Prague with Kostas Tsimikas, James McConnell, Bobby Clark, Lewis Koumas, Cody Gakpo and Salah coming in.
As quoted by The Standard on 14 March, Klopp doesn’t want to rush Salah back to action with the Egyptian star playing just three times for Liverpool since the start of the year due to AFCON and a minor injury.
Klopp instead wants to take a measured approach to Salah’s return and starting him in a game where Liverpool shouldn’t have to move out of first gear seems to make sense with the view to him being substituted off either at half-time or early in the second half.
As for the rest of the team, Caoimhin Kelleher is predicted to start in goals behind a back-four of Conor Bradley, Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah and Tsimikas.
Wataru Endo could keep his spot in the midfield and be joined by youngsters McConnoll and Clark.
In the attack, Salah is likely to start on the right with Koumas on the left and Gakpo starting up front.
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