Liverpool vs Brentford: Will Cody Gakpo make his debut? – Predicted XI
Liverpool will lock horns against Brentford in their first match of 2023 on Monday. The Reds defeated Leicester City on Friday 2-1 making it their fourth consecutive Premier League win.
Jurgen Klopp’s troops will be heading forward with full confidence against Brentford trying to make their fifth win in a row. However, it will not be an easy match as we saw Klopp’s men struggling a bit against the Foxes. Furthermore, Brentford have not lost even a single clash in their previous 5 fixtures. Thomas Frank’s side has 2 wins and 3 draws in their last 5. It will be a nail-biting battle to watch on for the neutrals.
Team news
Following the match against Leicester on Friday, injury concerns have been added more to the list for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The Merseyside giants’ left-back Andy Robertson and midfielder Harvey Elliott picked up injuries on Friday. The Reds duo couldn’t play the full 90 minutes and thus, had to be taken off in the middle of the match.
Meanwhile, there is no news regarding the availability of Arthur Melo. Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are still injured and out. Further, there are chances of Roberto Firmino, James Milner, and Curtis returning against the Bees.
Possible Liverpool lineup vs Brentford
After a fury of injuries, it will be surprising to see the changes in Klopp’s squad. Despite getting injured Robertson is not completely ruled out and has a possibility to play. However, if Liverpool’s no. 24 isn’t available then Kostas Tsimikas will be an alternate option for Klopp. Moreover, Fabinho might be returning for the match and if so the Brazilian’s return will be a big relief for Klopp.
We can see Ibrahima Konate replace Joel Matip and start vs the Bees. Fabio Carvalho will be an option to start over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Reds manager might also be considering Naby Keita to start. This will be a possibility as Henderson was not at his full potential vs the Foxes.
Liverpool Predicted XI
Alisson, Trent, Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Robertson/Tsimikas, Naby Keita, Thiago, Fabinho, Salah, Nunez, and Firmino.
Can we see Gakpo making debut?
Finally, the most exciting thing for fans will be to see if Cody Gakpo will make an appearance. Gakpo was recently signed by the Reds with all formalities completed. However, Klopp has already made it clear that the new signing won’t be participating against the Bees.
