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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Jurgen Klopp facing Takumi Minamino Liverpool conundrum and Xherdan Shaqiri question

Liverpool continued the impressive start to their Premier League defence with victory over Arsenal on Monday night.

The Reds came from behind to win 3-1 at Anfield with Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson and new signing Diogo Jota all on the mark.

The Premier League and world champions now turn their focus to the Carabao Cup with the Gunners again the visitors in their fourth round tie on Thursday.

Jurgen Klopp will consider his options with Liverpool then facing Aston Villa only three days later.

And here we look ahead to the changes the Reds boss could make when his side are next in action.

Klopp considers combination

As in the previous round at Lincoln City last week, it will be all change for the Liverpool starting XI - expect, perhaps, in defence.

Adrian will replace Alisson Becker in goal while Kostas Tsimikas and Neco Williams are primed to resume in the full-back berths in the competition.

The head-scratcher is over who plays at the heart of the backline.

Joe Gomez is again available, while Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho both played 45 minutes at the LNER Stadium alongside debutant Rhys Williams.

With Sepp van den Berg also pressing for a place, there's every chance Klopp could go for a combination of youth and experience once more.

Shaqiri or not?

James Milner was absent last week but made a late cameo against the Gunners on Monday and will be a favourite to start in midfield.

Curtis Jones can expect another opportunity, while Xherdan Shaqiri was similarly impressive at Lincoln with surely only fitness preventing him from featuring from the start.

If Shaqiri doesn't make it - he wasn't on the bench on Monday - there could be a switch of formation with Takumi Minamino playing in a central role behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1, although he could play advanced in a 4-3-3.

Marko Grujic could also come into contention again if he hasn't sealed a move away from Anfield.

It seems unlikely Gini Wijnaldum or Naby Keita will start having featured prominently in the opening Premier League games.

The Origi question

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino can all anticipate being given a breather.

And how the front three lines up depends much on where Minamino plays.

If the Japanese plays in a midfield role, that would allow Divock Origi to play down the centre of the attack with Diogo Jota on the left and Harvey Elliott on the right.

But if Minamino goes into the number nine role - where he was impressive against Lincoln - that would leave Origi and Elliott scrapping over the right-wing role, or see Origi go left and Jota on the right.

Certainly, Klopp has a number of ways in which to inflict further misery on Arsenal.

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