Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi could play after shaking off hamstring strains while Joe Allen should overcome a shoulder injury.
Daniel Sturridge has also returned to full training but will not be considered for this game.
Sunderland will check on the fitness of Yann M’Vila and Jeremain Lens, who have respective foot and groin injuries.
Younes Kaboul is available after a hamstring problem, while newcomer Wahbi Khazri could make his first start.
Editor’s Note: Defeat on Tuesday all but ended Liverpool’s realistic hopes of Champions League Football through a Top 4 position, the season now becomes a period of Cup adventure and squad assessment by Jurgen Klopp for the following campaign.
They were second best on Tuesday as again a lack of potent threat in attack let them down at League leaders Leicester, that defeat saw them drop to 8th and now 11 points away from Arsenal in 4th place.
It’s not only lack of goals it’s shipping them at the other end as the Merseyside club have a negative goal difference of -4, certainly not the Liverpool defensive strength of old.
As mentioned previously this is now very much a work in progress for Jurgen Klopp as he weighs up what players he will want to keep for next season when he gets a crack at a full season in charge of Liverpool. The question is how much change is required at Anfield
Change has also come around at their opponents Sunderland with Sam Allardyce being one of the busier managers in the January Transfer Window, it was Defence in which they were reinforced the most but unfortunately for Allardyce those new faces couldn’t keep Manchester City at bay on Tuesday.
They did everything but score on Tuesday and will be cursing the performance of Joe Hart as his string of saves meant that Sunderland came away from the game empty handed. Although debutant Lamine Kone could and should have endeared himself the Sunderland faithful but headed a guilt edged chance wide.
Sunderland find themselves in 19th and 4 points from safety at present and Sam Allardyce knows his side are running out of games if they are to claw themselves out of the dropzone. The last time these two sides met a rare Christian Benteke effort was the difference but Sunderland that night were also guilty of wasting chances.
Liverpool should win this but their League campaign is almost in danger of petering out, it certainly will if Sunderland manage to snatch a win this Afternoon. Personally I don’t think that will happen, Liverpool will have enough to edge this. Home win for me.
