Jurgen Klopp Makes Six Changes to Liverpool Side for Brighton Clash, Harvey Elliott Keeps Place

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has made six changes to his side for their Premier League clash against Brighton, but Harvey Elliott has kept his place in the starting lineup having been hailed a “super player” by the German.

The Reds are in East Sussex for their eighth game of the campaign, three days after a 2-0 victory over Union SG at Anfield. With such little time to prepare and such a tight turnaround, Klopp had already planned to make a number of changes between the two fixtures.

But the inclusion of Elliott over Wataru Endo, who was brought off at half-time in midweek in what the manager described as a planned change, came as something of a surprise. The 20-year-old has kept his place along with Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.

Klopp Explains Elliott’s Selection

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game, Klopp explained why he had chosen to keep Elliott in the starting lineup: “Just the way Harvey looked in the last weeks. He played a good game on Thursday, he’s not overplayed, I would say, recently. He came on a couple of times, played games, has kind of rhythm, and he’s a super player. So that was the decision behind that.

“We need to be really strong, good on the ball, good in one-on-one situations. The man-marking of Brighton requires real physicality on the ball, or being really quick. He can be both, together with all the others, so that was the reason.”

Elliott Excited for Opportunity

Elliott himself was understandably excited to be given the opportunity to start in the Premier League for the first time this season. “You can see the quality in the team, and it’s part of football, waiting for your opportunity, and hopefully I can take it,” he told Sky Sports.

With seven players out including Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones, there are fewer options from the bench for Klopp at the AMEX. But he will be hoping his starting lineup is strong enough to get the job done against a Brighton side who suffered in a 2-2 draw with Marseille on Thursday night.

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether Elliott will be able to take his opportunity and help Liverpool to victory against Brighton. But with Klopp’s faith in him clear for all to see, it is sure to be an exciting game for the youngster.