Possible LFC XI vs. Villa: 4 big issues for BR; Defender to be dropped...?

With Spurs and Everton not playing until Sunday and Monday respectively, Liverpool have a golden opportunity to pull away from their fiercest Champions League rivals, and if results go the club's way this weekend, the Reds could really consolidate a position in the top four.

In article yesterday, I posted stats showing LFC's historical league position after 21 games, and the figures showed that every time the Reds achieved over 40 points at the 21-game stage, the club went on to finish in the top four.

As such, if Liverpool can maintain the current two points-per-game-average, then - catastrophic collapse notwithstanding - a place in the top four seems assured this season. On the fitness front, things are looking up in terms of overall squad strength:

* Mamadou Sakho and Joe Allen should be back in contention. In his pre-Villa press conference on Thursday, Brendan Rodgers confirmed:

"We've got Joe Allen back. He returned in training and we'll just wait and see how young Sakho is over the next day or so"

* Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard are fit and back in the fold.

There are several issues for Brendan Rodgers to consider:

* Should Daniel Sturridge start the game, or come on from the bench again?
* If Sturridge starts, who makes way to accommodate him?
* Will Joe Allen come back into the side straight away?
* After conceding 3 goals against Stoke, should Sakho replace Toure?

Sturridge

The striker's fitness is a constant concern, and he took another knock during the Stoke game, but after scoring and assisting, it's hard to leave Sturridge out of the starting line-up. It's a gamble, though. Sturridge seems to be the kind of player who scores a shedload of goals in a small burst of games but then inevitably gets injured, so there are basically two choices: Play him as much as possible and hope he scores as many goals as possible before the next injury, or use him sparingly, and hope he stays fitter for longer.

Who gets dropped?

If Sturridge starts, someone will have to make way. Jamie Redknapp believes it will be one of Coutinho, Henderson, or Lucas, but there's also the possibility that Raheem Sterling will drop to the bench. My personal choice is Lucas - if Gerrard is playing the holding role, why does he need to be in the team?

Joe Allen

There's no way that he'll come straight back into the starting line-up. He's not going to replace Gerrard or Henderson, and there's nowhere else in the team for him to play. Plus, he's just coming back from injury, so a place on the bench seems the most likely choice.

Sakho

At the moment, there doesn't seem to be a wholly effective defensive combination for Liverpool. Whatever the partnership, the Reds have conceded goals, and the main issue continues to be aerial ineffectiveness. Peter Crouch beat Kolo Toure in the air for Stoke's first goal last week, but given the mismatch in height, that's one of the more understandable aerial errors of the season. I'd stick with Toure; he helped the club keep a clean sheet against Oldham recently, and the team collectively defended poorly at times against Stoke; it wasn't just down to the central defenders.

Possible Line-Ups

I hope to see the following line-up:

---------------- Mignolet

Johnson ----- Skrtel --- Toure ---- Cissokho

------------- Gerrard -- Hendo

----------------- Coutino

--------- Sterling

------------ Suarez -- Sturridge

With Villa struggling, that side is more than strong enough to achieve victory, and if it isn't, then serious questions need to be asked.

Predicting a 2-0 victory for Liverpool, Anfield legend Mark Lawrenson told the BBC:

"The Reds have been great at home this season and they have a knack of despatching teams in the first half of their games at Anfield. Aston Villa are much better away from home than they are at Villa Park, so they will not just roll over. Even so, I cannot see Paul Lambert's team leaving Anfield with anything".

Lawro's former team-mate, Jan Molby, is also confident of a Liverpool win. He told the Liverpool Echo:

"I can’t see Liverpool slipping up tomorrow. They will create a bucketload of chances and it’s a case of how many we take. Forget about what happened last season at home to Villa, those days are gone"

Despite his lack of goals this season, Christian Benteke remains a massive worry for Liverpool. He's torn the club's defenders to shreds in the past, and after scoring against Arsenal in his last game, he seems to be coming into form at exactly the wrong time (!) Hopefully, the Reds will not underestimate him.

My prediction: 3-1

Author: Jaimie K