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Liverpool team vs West Ham predicted as Cody Gakpo starts amid major Mohamed Salah decision

Liverpool takes on West Ham in the Premier League later today. Here, some of our writers select the starting XIs we would like Jürgen Klopp to choose.

Liverpool is probably no longer playing for the title, although it at least has the benefit of the early kick-off here to try and pile some sort of pressure back on Manchester City and Arsenal. A win, however artificially, would lift Jürgen Klopp’s side level on points with top for at least a day.

But it’s rare that Klopp hails the Saturday lunchtime slot as a blessing, and it does come with a ludicrously short turnaround from the Everton defeat. That was just the latest game where Liverpool has looked physically and mentally exhausted, so it will be a major test to put out an energized side.

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Perhaps being free of any real title hopes will lift a burden. Or maybe Klopp will spring another rotation surprise. Either way, something has to improve, with Liverpool at least able to end the German’s tenure with some rousing performances.

Cody Gakpo will be available for selection again after missing the Merseyside derby for the birth of his child. It seems likely that Klopp will immediately restore him as he seeks to patch up a badly misfiring attack, while the defense is under scrutiny too amid a long run without clean sheets. What should Klopp do against West Ham? These are the teams that some of our Liverpool.com writers would select.

Matt Addison – Mohamed Salah starts

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What should Liverpool do here? I’ve seen suggestions that you just rotate and give young players a go for the rest of the season but Liverpool needs to wrap up Champions League qualification and end the Klopp era on a high. It also needs to get the Everton game and a few lingering questions out of its system as soon as possible.

For that reason, I’m going fairly close to what the team was against Everton but with a couple of changes. I’m taking Ibrahima Konaté and Darwin Núñez out because they were particularly poor midweek. The latter wouldn’t have started, I don’t think, had Gakpo been available. The Dutchman is back now after welcoming a baby with his partner, and he comes back in for me.

I’m going to swap Dominik Szoboszlai out for Harvey Elliott too, but the rest of my midfield stays the same. The Hungarian hasn’t looked himself lately and he could benefit from coming on off the bench rather than starting.

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Mohamed Salah falls into the same camp and it says everything that there is a major decision to be made here, but he keeps his place for me. The Egyptian needs a strong end to the season to change the current narrative and ensure that it doesn’t linger for the whole of the summer. Salah has five goals in nine Premier League matches in 2024 so it isn’t all bad, but a good performance here would go a long way and I want to see him given the opportunity.

My starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Díaz

Predicted scoreline: 2-0 to Liverpool.

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