OPINION
Liverpool are likely to play a more conservative line-up in Monday night’s showdown against West Ham after the defensive tremors in the draw against Leicester City last week.
Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri were named in the same starting XI for the first time this season last Wednesday but, following a lively start, they fizzled out and made little impact in the 1-1 draw.
Keita, 23, has had a hit-and-miss debut season, while there is a sense Shaqiri, 27, is more effective coming off the bench in the last half-hour against tiring defences.
The pair could make way at the London Stadium for Fabinho and James Milner, with the latter available after serving a one-match suspension.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez both out with long-term injuries and Dejan Lovren suffering with a hamstring problem, Milner is set to fill in at right-back in what is becoming something of a problem position for Jurgen Klopp.
That will allow Jordan Henderson to revert back to midfield, where he is likely to be joined by Fabinho, who started on the bench against Leicester, and mainstay Georginio Wijnaldum.
The trio don’t offer as much creativity and inventiveness as Keita and Shaqiri, but can make up for that with their experience, energy and ability to win back possession quickly.
That would mean room for just three attackers, with talisman Mohamed Salah pushed out to the wide role rather than the central striker position in which he has thrived in recent months.