Changes will be afoot yet again when Liverpool turn their attention back to the Europa League tomorrow.
Europe’s secondary competition is a place where Jurgen Klopp, his squad and supporters alike don’t want to be. They’ve had to settle for a spot competing for the Champions League’s less glamourous and significantly less lucrative sibling.
Still, there’s some excitement when it comes to the Europa League. Kopites are taking the tournament for what it is and the opponents and away trips usually not on the agenda are being approached with gusto. A maiden meeting against Belgian side Royal Union Saint-Gilloise takes place as Liverpool aim for successive Group E wins following a 3-1 victory over LASK last month.
Jurgen Klopp will no doubt field a rotated side against Union. Judging by the teams he’s named against LASK and the Carabao Cup triumph over Leicester City, the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch are set for opportunities.
Yet one of Liverpool’s usual cast-iron starters is likely to feature from the outset. In truth, Trent Alexander-Arnold couldn’t ask for a better game to make his first appearance in more than a month. A hamstring injury sustained in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on 3 September has meant he’s not featured in all five matches since that month’s international break.
After returning to training last week, Alexander-Arnold was named on the bench for the 2-1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur. Given that the Reds were reduced to 10 men after Curtis Jones was sent off in the first half – and then had Diogo Jota dismissed after the interval – it was scarcely a surprise the vice-captain remained unused.
In wonted circumstances, Alexander-Arnold would join Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister among the substitutes. Yet Klopp is presented with the ideal encounter to get the 24-year-old back up to speed. Indeed, that’s what he opted for against LASK, with van Dijk skippering the side having served a two-match suspension after being given his marching orders in the 2-1 triumph at Newcastle United in August.
Alexander-Arnold’s return will also mean a recognised full-back being deployed on the right-hand side of the rearguard. Joe Gomez has deputised admirably in the Premier League yet his best role is central. Defensive midfielder Stefan Bajcetic was surprisingly named in the role against LASK and perhaps even more of a bolt from the blue was Curtis Jones, known as a forward-thinking midfielder, featured in the position in the Leicester win.
Alexander-Arnold will have scant reservations about lining up against Union. He’ll be only too wary that he requires minutes, while it’s an opportunity to captain his boyhood club under the Anfield lights. Most importantly, it’ll help fine-tune him for the Premier League trip to Brighton at the weekend, with Jota and Cody Gakpo already ruled out, while Jones may also be unavailable should the FA turn down the appeal over his red card.
