Liverpool vs Watford predicted team: Naby Keita’s career is over

Jurgen Klopp and his Reds side will roll into Vicarage Road come Saturday afternoon but will do so without Naby Keita. Read our predicted team here.

Nigel Pearson and his Watford side sit 19th in the league, and will be looking to shock Jurgen Klopp’s men by nicking points from the relentless Reds.

It will be a tough ask, however, as the Hornets have been in poor form of late having lost three of their last four fixtures.

Having previously won heart stoppers at Norwich and at home against West Ham on Monday past, this match is the last fixture with the cellar dwellers this campaign. Klopp will be looking to finish February on 81 points – a remarkable mark unrivalled in any top European league in any previous season.

They have managed to squeak by in their last two fixtures against the bottom sides by one goal margins, leaving it late on both occasions. Expect Pearson to have Watford well prepared, laying deep in a defensive block and attempting to go strong in the counter. Also, they will be aware of Liverpool’s difficulty of late in defending corners and set pieces.

A win here for the Reds will see them needing only four more victories to climb a mountain it has taken 30 years to summit; provided Man City do not drop points before their April 4 fixture with Liverpool. Klopp and the Reds should not be taking this fixture lightly, and we can expect a full throated effort from all.

Expect Pearson and Watford to play inspired, pushing hard against Klopp’s squad, needing points desperately to avoid relegation. With some talent in the squad, look for Troy Deeney, Gerard Deulofeu, and Abdoulaye Doucoure to provide the firepower for Watford in the counter.

The Reds will be without skipper Jordan Henderson as he rehabs a hamstring. Klopp should have a full compliment otherwise unless some niggling issue arises. I see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain taking the nod in midfield over Naby Keita; who has had a couple of less than stellar outings in their last two fixtures.

This is what I predict from the Liverpool lineup

Allison, Andy Robertson, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah.

I look for the Reds to continue to outclass, outshine, and outlast an inspired challenge from Pearson’s squad with the Reds taking full marks with a 2-0 clean sheet.

This all sounds well and good on paper, however if the past is prologue – this could end up in another heart stopper with the lads needing to dig deep to find a late goal for the win.