Liverpool: This is the back four we want against Newcastle

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Christian Atsu of Newcastle United and Joe Gomez of Liverpool battle for possession during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St. James Park on October 1, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Christian Atsu of Newcastle United and Joe Gomez of Liverpool battle for possession during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St. James Park on October 1, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) /
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Liverpool van dijk back four Newcastle
Virgil van Dijk looks on in the match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary’s Stadium on February 11, 2018 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

Center Back: Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk has started only nineteen games this season. Liverpool have only ten league games left in this run-in. The Dutchman should be playing every last remaining minute that of the season unless he is injured or has a niggle.

If Chelsea continue to fade – say losing to Manchester City and Spurs in the next three EPL games – then Champions League qualification will almost be assured for the Reds by the beginning of April if they continue to win.

In that scenario, you can imagine Klopp resting van Dijk ahead of a Champions League Quarter Finals second leg or (hopefully) a Semi-Final. Even then he would be rested to keep away from injury and not because of exhaustion. The rest of Liverpool’s season is very manageable from a fitness perspective. The Reds will get another weekend off for the FA Cup Quarter Finals in a couple of weeks.

I want Klopp to have as much information as possible about who his best center back partnership is heading into the late stages of the Champions League. So I am fine with van Dijk being the mainstay and his partner being swapped around…