Liverpool are set to face Southampton in their final game of the season, with the fates of both sides already determined. Southampton have been relegated to the Championship earlier this month, while Man United‘s victory over Chelsea confirmed that the Reds will end the campaign in fifth. Jurgen Klopp has hinted at “fresh legs” during his pre-match press conference and has the rare opportunity to experiment with his team selection. Team news reveals that Darwin Nunez is available after recovering from a toe injury, while Ibrahima Konate is a doubt having picked up an illness and Andy Robertson “felt something in his groin” in training.
Roberto Firmino and James Milner both came off the bench in the Reds’ final home outing and could be in line for a start in what would be their final appearances for the club. The potential absences of Robertson and Konate also pose questions about who could fill their vacated spots in light of the recent system tweak. Milner could captain the side in his final appearance, with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip replacing the injured defenders. Firmino could lead the line ahead of Cody Gakpo for a final goodbye. Kostas Tsimikas’ ability to occupy the left side of the new system is uncertain, so Luis Diaz could be hoping to bounce back from a difficult afternoon against Aston Villa as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
This is how Liverpool could line up: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Gomez; Fabinho, Milner, Jones; Salah, Jota, Firmino. An alternate team could look like this: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dik, Milner; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo.
It is a rare free hit on Sunday as Liverpool wave goodbye to some genuine legends and attempt to end the campaign on a high. A win would see the Reds end the season with eight victories from the last nine, which certainly would not be a bad position to be in heading into the summer. Up the Reds!