Liverpool Predicted XI: We predict Jurgen Klopp’s much-changed starting XI for his sides Champions League clash against Midtjylland

Liverpool kick off their 2020/21 Champions League home campaign with an ‘easy on paper’ game against Midtjylland. 

After losing to Atletico Madrid in the second round last season, Jurgen Klopp’s side will be aiming to lift the trophy just like they did in 2019 – when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.

However, the Premier League champions have experienced a topsy-turvy start to this season.

The Reds won their opening three league matches but were thrashed 7-2 at Aston Villa but have bounced with a good performance at Goodison Park and two wins against Ajax and Sheffield United.

However, with tough matches against West Ham United, Atalanta and Manchester City to come in the next ten days, we believe Klopp will field some of his squad players tonight.

So which players will the German boss task with getting a positive result at Anfield?

Here we predict Klopp’s starting XI…

Goalkeeper: First-choice Liverpool goalkeeper made a remarkable comeback from injury when starting against Sheffield United at the weekend. It was first thought that the Brazilian would be out for at least a month, but he worked hard and was out for just a few weeks to provide a huge boost to Klopp and the Liverpool squad. We expect the excellent keeper to start again tonight to build his match practice.

Defenders: The big news is that the Reds will have to do without Virgil van Dijk for quite some time after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against Everton due to Jordan Pickford’s questionable challenge. With only five clean sheets kept in their previous 23 matches, things were not exactly rosy defensively, but there’s no question that the Dutchman will be sorely missed. Fabinho and Joe Gomez have been Klopp’s go-to defenders since the big injury, and we expect them to start again as Klopp has declared Matip is not quite ready. Young right back Neco Williams will be hoping to start with summer signing Konstantinos Tsimikas on the opposite flank.

Midfielders: Another summer signing who will be missing from the start tonight is Thiago, who has been struggling with niggling injuries since joining the Reds. Naby Keita has also been declared not fit to start to we expect to see the experienced James Milner alongside midfield regulars Gini Wijnaldum and club captain Jordan Henderson.

Forwards: We expect Klopp again to make wholesale changes in the forward position as he puts a lot of faith into the depth of his squad in tonight’s encounter. It’s so difficult for other players to get a look in, with the incredible trio of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Firmino, Klopp’s go-to strikers. We think Klopp will side Divock Origi, with youngster Curtis Jones and Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri on either flank.

Predicted XI: Alisson; Williams, Fabinho, Gomez, Tsimikas; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Milner; Jones, Shaqiri, Origi