Following Wednesday’s poor Merseyside derby outcome, Jürgen Klopp will contemplate making multiple changes to his Liverpool lineup at West Ham. Everton defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Goodison Park, dealing a significant blow to the club’s title chances.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goals grabbed all three points for the Toffees, giving Arsenal a three-point lead over the Reds. Manchester City is in third position, with two games in hand on Liverpool, and will go to Brighton on Thursday.
Liverpool’s focus will now be on returning to winning ways against West Ham, with only four games left in the Klopp era. It’s another early start for Klopp’s team, with major changes probable following the derby setback.
Ibrahima Konaté had a forgettable night at Goodison Park, thus the defense did not shine brightly. He was substituted by Jarell Quansah during the game, and the Reds’ youngster could return to the starting lineup.
Andy Robertson may also leave following a poor performance. Kostas Tsimikas and Joe Gomez are both options, but the Greek international may get the nod due to his offensive abilities.
Wataru Endō, a Japanese international, came on as a second-half substitution for the attacking Dominik Szoboszlai. Liverpool missed his defensive presence against Everton, and he will be needed against West Ham’s attacking alternatives, though Harvey Elliott may also be called up.
Cody Gakpo has impressed in Liverpool’s recent games and was poised to start at Goodison Park. However, Klopp indicated that he will not be participating in his partner’s pregnancy. If he returns to the squad, the Dutchman hopes to start against West Ham, since Darwin Núñez is struggling to maintain his position.
Diogo Jota, a Portuguese forward, is still out after suffering a new injury in last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Fulham. Jota has only recently returned from a knee injury and is now expected to be out for about two weeks, with Conor Bradley also missing.
Possible Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endō, Mac Allister, Elliott; Gakpo, Salah, and Díaz.