Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool’s clash with Napoli is not a game for “massive rotation”.
The Reds are already into the last 16 of the Champions League and can only top their group if they beat the Serie A side by four goals. That has led many believe that the German may opt to make changes and rest his key men ahead of a crunch clash with Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Liverpool are in desperate need of three points this weekend after back-to-back defeats by Nottingham Forest and Leeds has left their domestic campaign in tatters. But Klopp is also wary of facing unbeaten Napoli, who hammered his side 4-1 when they met back in September in Naples.
He said: “It is a pretty quick turnaround since we played against Leeds so I am not fully aware of the situation of the players who played against Leeds.
"We will not take risks but if you watch football a bit you know Napoli is in incredible shape, plays incredible football, tops the table in Italy, are maybe the team in form in Europe at the moment so this is not the game for a massive rotation.
“It is not that we have to win 4-0 or whatever to top the group, we want to win the game that is clear but the result at the moment is not really important.
“I have to make the line up [Monday], maybe tomorrow [Tuesday] morning, and then we go from there.”
With that in mind, there may still be some changes.
Alisson is expected to stay in goal despite No.2 Caoimhin Kelleher’s recent return to fitness. But there may be some changes in defence with Ibrahima Konate pushing for a return after recovering from injury.
Klopp may rest his full backs which could give James Milner a role at right-back and see Kostas Tsimikas in on the other flank.
Midfield is a tricky one however. Jordan Henderson did not train with the group on Monday but is understood to have worked in the gym on his own individual programme and could feature. Thiago - who was a substitute in Naples - may play alongside him with underperforming Fabinho maybe rested.
Mo Salah is expected to be on the right, with potentially Roberto Firmino in the middle and Fabio Carvalho could return to the starting line up on the left. Klopp has injury issues on that side with Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz both out.
Darwin Nunez is in need of as much football as possible so expect him up front.
Likely Liverpool Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Milner, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Carvalho; Nunez
