Liverpool will host their most bitter rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby when they meet in the Premier League on Monday night and Jurgen Klopp will surely be hoping his team can recover from their poor form and capitalise on a number of results in their favour this weekend.
The Reds are currently 10th in the top-flight table – 12 points adrift from the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four – but could leapfrog Chelsea into ninth if they take all three points from Sean Dyche’s side this evening.
Liverpool are yet to win a league game in 2023 with their last victory coming on the 30th of December against Leicester City conceding one draw and three defeats since, so it will be important for Klopp to get his team performing and capitalising on their rival’s misfortunes at the bottom of the table.
Is Thiago Alcantara available for the Merseyside derby?
The German head coach has already suffered a big blow in preparations for the clash as Thiago Alcantara suffered a hip injury which could reportedly now see him side-lined for four weeks – missing out on the difficult Champions League meeting with Real Madrid later this month.
As a result, Klopp must not unleash and lean on club captain Jordan Henderson to replace the Spaniard in the centre of the pitch in his absence and will hope that the 32-year-old can make a positive impact on the team.
Will Jordan Henderson play in the Merseyside derby?
It is looking incredibly likely that the Liverpool stalwart will return to action for the Reds when Everton pay a visit to the red side of Merseyside tomorrow evening, with Klopp limited in his options to call upon in midfield.
Whilst Fabinho is set to return from a virus and Arthur Melo is on the road to recovery from a long-term injury problem, the Liverpool boss still views Henderson as a key component in the team despite averaging just 54 minutes per league game this season.
Over 17 Premier League appearances so far, the England star – hailed “under-appreciated” by teammate Virgil van Dijk – has created three big chances and tallied up an 83% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 49.5 touches, 36 accurate passes and 1.4 duels per game.
Henderson is also one of the most experienced players in the team when it comes to the Merseyside Derby – tallying up 23 appearances, eight victories, 12 draws, one goal and one assist.
With that being said, unleashing the captain against Everton could be a blessing in disguise for Klopp as his experience and leadership in midfield could be exactly what Liverpool needs to snatch all three points at Anfield tonight.