Liverpool returns to Europa League action tonight with Jürgen Klopp’s side remaining favorites to go on and win the competition. The Reds cruised through the group stages despite a couple of defeats and now takes on Sparta Prague in the last 16.
Klopp and his players are in the Czech capital for the first leg before the return at Anfield next week. There is of course the small matter of Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday but the focus is on the clash with Sparta.
Liverpool has been handed a welcome injury boost too with Mohamed Salah making the trip to Prague after his injury issues. The Egyptian has played just 45 minutes in two months after aggravating a problem in the win at Brentford last month
It is hoped that he will get some action ahead of the clash with City, while Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai are both expected to be involved again. Despite the return of the key trio, Klopp remains without 10 players for this one so his options are limited.
These are the teams that some of our Liverpool.com writers would select for the Europa League tie with different verdicts on the Reds’ returning talisman.
We know that Caoimhín Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas and Bobby Clark will play, in all likelihood. There is a pretty good chance of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté doing a half each as they did last midweek and I’d prefer to see Joe Gomez against Manchester City, so I’m going with Conor Bradley.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Núñez could probably do with the minutes to get some rhythm into them and Wataru Endō and Bobby Clark complete my midfield. Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo can play here, with Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz to be unleashed on Sunday. Salah, like Szoboszlai and Núñez, is coming back from injury — but he never needs long to look sharp again.
starting XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endō, Clark; Elliott, Núñez, Gakpo
Predicted scoreline: 2-0 to Liverpool.
