How much should Klopp rotate against Bournemouth?
Liverpool take on Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, but how much should manager Jurgen Klopp rotate?
The Reds have used the same tried and tested formula for large parts of the season for a very good reason: it works.
In particular, the forward line has got through a lot of games as Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have put the fear of God into opposition defences. They’ve started 28, 24 and 29 league games each, a huge amount.
Further back the pitch and favourites such as Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum have all featured heavily – and that toll is starting to show.
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Can and Henderson have both suffered injuries this campaign that have left Klopp understaffed in midfield, but does that mean he should have rotated his side around more?
In particular, could James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have played more of a role earlier than they did? Both players are starting to come to the fore now, but has the damage already been done?
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Klopp has shown that he isn’t afraid to throw youth into the side if he thinks they’re ready. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are perfect examples of that, but using a few more academy graduates for the Cherries game must come into consideration.
After a hectic couple of weeks, first team players should be rested to ensure they are ready to go in the Champions League semi-final, as well as for the last remaining league games.
It’s already been suggested that Danny Ings should start on Saturday, but Ben Woodburn or Dominic Solanke need to be given a run out as well. Mane or Salah being on the bench is no bad thing, and gives Klopp tremendous strength going into the latter stages of the game.
But more than that, Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne also deserve to be in the XI. They both need game time, and giving that to them would also keep one eye on the future if they are needed.
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Rotation doesn’t mean weakening the team and those who come in should be good enough to see off the Cherries.