Liverpool: This is the back four we want against Newcastle
By David Gate
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…