Liverpool will face LASK in Austria tonight (Thursday) to start their European season off.
The Reds have been in good form in the Premier League so far this season, unbeaten in their last five league games with spirited comebacks against Wolves and Newcastle United amongst the notable results.
Jurgen Klopp has hinted that he will pick players based on merit in Austria, saying that ‘we are here to compete, not to give opportunities’ in his pre-match press conference last night.
The boss’ words suggest that there may be many senior players involved – with youngsters having to prove they deserve a start based on merit.
Here at DaveOCKOP, we decided to name five players we would like to see start the game in Linz later tonight.
Ryan Gravenberch
The deadline day signing spent his international break focusing on Liverpool.
He made his debut for the Reds this past weekend, coming on as a substitute in the last few minutes at the Molineux.
The Dutch international will no doubt he itching to make his full debut for the club and is probably in need of some minutes to get match fit and sharp.
It should be a good opportunity for Klopp to test out the 21-year-old in a variety of midfield positions.
Ben Doak
The electric Scotsmen was in superb form for his nation over the international break, capturing the imagination of Scotland and Spanish fans alike.
The 17-year-old did not feature in Liverpool U21’s match against Morecambe earlier this week, meaning he could be involved tonight.
Mohamed Salah could start for statistical purposes as he won’t want to miss a fixture where he could add to his season tally.
Doak may have to be content with a cameo off the bench.
Kostas Tsimikas
The ‘Greek Scouser’ is a well-liked member of the squad and seems to be a great character to have around the dressing room.
Now 27, the Tsimikas will be eager to get as much game time as possible.
The left-back has not featured as much as he would have liked this season, with his only minutes coming as a late substitute during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
He recently agreed to a 2-year contract extension at the club.
It would be very surprising if Jurgen Klopp does not grant the Greek international some minutes tonight, as Andy Robertson has already featured a lot this season.
Wataru Endo
The Japanese international is a new member of the team after making the switch from VfB Stuttgart in the summer.
Although he was a relatively unknown quantity when he arrived, Liverpool fans have quickly warmed to him.
Endo started against Bournemouth and Newcastle, with both games reducing the Reds to 10 men.
He then came on against Aston Villa very late in the second half and was an unused substitute against Wolves.
Like with Gravenberch, Endo could use a start for some match sharpness and confidence.
Jarell Quansah
The young centre-back was excellent in Liverpool’s comeback victory against Wolves and has made Virgil van Dijk’s absence a lot less painful.
He limped off early at the Molineux, but it is believed that the issue was just a cramp and nothing serious.
The Liverpool skipper recently praised Quansah for his performance against Wolves, labelling the 20-year-old as ‘outstanding’.
It will be intriguing to see how Quansah fares in a European encounter away from home and could be the next step to boost his confidence after the past weekend.
