Liverpool Predicted XI vs Shrewsbury Town: Youngsters to take centre stage
Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Quarter Final - Aston Villa v Liverpool - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 17, 2019 Liverpool coach Neil Critchley REUTERS/Andrew Yates EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Liverpool take on Shrewsbury Town in an FA Cup Fourth Round replay on Tuesday night in unusual circumstances.
Following a thrilling 2-2 draw at New Meadow, Jurgen Klopp confirmed he will not take charge of the return game at Anfield.
Additionally, the German boss also revealed that no senior players will participate against the League One side.
This isn’t the first time Klopp and his first-team didn’t take part in a match this term after they missed a League Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa in December.
However, on that occasion, there was no other option as they were in Qatar preparing for the Club World Cup.
Under-23s manager Neil Critchley was in charge of the youngsters as they lost 5-0 against the Villans, and will be expected to field a similar team against the Shrews.
But which XI will be tasked with the challenge of taking on a far more experienced but lower league opponent?
Here we predict Critchley’s line-up for Tuesday’s replay…..
Caoimhin Kelleher
Twenty-one-year-old Caoimhin Kelleher is the first-choice stopper for the Under-23s and will take his position just like he did in three EFL Cup matches earlier this season.
Sepp van den Berg in action with Aston Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia
Defenders: We expect Neco Williams and Adam Lewis to occupy the right and left-back slots, while summer signing Sepp van den Berg and fellow Dutchman Ki-Jana Hoever should be the Reds’ centre-back pairing.
Pedro Chirivella in action with Everton’s Djibril Sidibe.
Midfielders: Pedro Chirivella has impressed in his five appearances this term and will get another chance to catch the eye on Tuesday. At 22, the Spaniard could well be the senior player in midfield with two 18-year-olds in Leighton Clarkson and Jake Cain expected to play.
Curtis Jones celebrates scoring Liverpool’s first goal against Shrewsbury.
Forwards: Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliot are two players who have been in and around the first-team squad on a number of occasions this term and both will be placed with the task of providing that attacking flair from the flanks. At centre-forward Joe Hardy could be handed a first-team debut after signing from Brentford last month.
Predicted XI: Kelleher; Williams, Van den Berg, Hoever, Lewis; Chirivella, Clarkson, Cain; Elliott, Hardy, Jones.