Liverpool vs Napoli: Don’t expect any squad rotation on Wednesday

Liverpool take on Napoli on Wednesday night but don’t expect manager Jurgen Klopp to make any squad rotations for the Champions League fixture.

The Reds welcome Carlo Ancelotti’s men to Anfield in the second last group fixture before teams progress to the final 16.

Winning will be important as Liverpool will head to Austria to play Salzburg after Napoli – a team who are no slouch at home. They scored two against Napoli and hit Genk for six during the first round of the competition.

And that need to claim three points will mean Jurgen Klopp will start Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson as his midfield three.

We’ve seen the German played Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against the weaker side – the duo had trots out against Genk – but Ancelotti’s side are a cut above the Belgians and Klopp will not muck about here.

Liverpool last played on Saturday as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 over the weekend, and the four days off will be enough for this finely tuned squad to rest their legs.

Fabinho is also banned for the Brighton game this weekend and so he’s guaranteed to play, while the attacking excellence of Napoli will require the more conservative Henderson and Wijnaldum to prevent the type of open midfield that Salzburg and Genk exploited.

The Seagulls are up three days after the Italians and that game would be a better one to give Oxlade-Chamberlain or Keita a game. Fab will drop out and Klopp will have to choose whether Adam Lallana comes into the side or Henderson moves into the deeper lying position.

But even if Hendo doesn’t, the Ox or Naby should be picked to provide more energy and threat from outside the box against Brighton – who have only won four games this season.

There will be calls for the usual two to be included in the side on Wednesday night, but Klopp will pick his trusted trio once again and seek to do the predictable.