Liverpool: This is the back four we want to see against Arsenal
By David Gate
Center Back: Joel Matip
The latest injury new on Joel Matip is that he is back in training and ahead of schedule to return to first team action. He has missed the last five games with an abductor injury but Liverpool have done well in his absence. Three clean sheets and only two goals conceded during his time out bodes well for the Reds even if is not quite ready for Friday.
If Klopp is true to form he will turn to the Cameroonian if he is at all close to being ready. The Dejan Lovren/Ragnar Klavan partnership has played the last four games and only let in one goal – the penalty against Everton. Yet Klopp has shown a preference for Joel Matip as his number one center back.
The manager has been heavily rotating his side, trying to keep his players from starting no more than two games in a row during the busy schedule. I expect Klopp is desperate to rest one of Lovren or Klavan with Boxing Day game against Swansea coming up.
Matip is our best defender at reading the game. While he is not perfect he does well with positioning and decision-making. Those skills are essential for dealing with the fluid movement of Arsenal’s attack.