Yahoo Sports How could Liverpool line up against Spartak Moscow in Champions League?
Liverpool are looking to pick up only their third Champions League win in more than eight years when they face Spartak Moscow at the Otkrytiye Arena.
Jürgen Klopp's side surrendered a lead in their opening Group E game to draw 2-2 with Sevilla and will want to avoid dropping more points in Russia.
Sadio Mané is back in contention, Mohamed Salah is in top form and Philippe Coutinho is starting to click into gear after his spell out of the side, so who could line up for Liverpool against Spartak?
The should-bes
Loris Karius is Liverpool’s European goalkeeper this season and Klopp confirmed on Monday that he will continue between the sticks against Spartak Moscow.
Joe Gomez is suspended following his sending-off in the opener against Sevilla, meaning Trent Alexander-Arnold will start at right-back. After being passed fit to play in the win at Leicester City, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip should partner each-other in the centre of defence. Alberto Moreno, meanwhile, appears to have cemented his position as Klopp’s first-choice left-back.
Jordan Henderson came up with an important captain’s goal at the King Power and should start at the base of midfield. Philippe Coutinho was deployed out on the left on Saturday but the return of a certain Senegalese forward could see him drop back into midfield.
Sadio Mané will return to front-line and is available for the foreseeable future after completing his three-match domestic suspension for the sending-off at Manchester City.
With Mané expected to play alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, and with Coutinho pulling the strings in centre of the park, it will be the first time Klopp has been able to call on Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ this season.
The could-bes
If one of Lovren or Matip are not risked after their recent knocks, Ragnar Klavan could deputise.
Emre Can also played against Leicester despite struggling with a minor problem at the tail end of last week and may therefore lose out to Georginio Wijnaldum.
Prediction
The Independent’s predicted Liverpool XI to play Spartak Moscow: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Lovren, Moreno; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Coutinho; Salah, Mané, Firmino.
