Liverpool is back in action this weekend following the conclusion of the latest international break, as it prepares to face Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side.
The Reds will be boosted by the returns of Ibrahima Konaté, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Joe Gomez to full training, while their opponents have also avoided injury scares to key duo Erling Haaland and Rodri heading into this fixture.
While every meeting between these two powerhouses of English football will be earmarked by footballing fans across the world, this fixture carries a particular significance given the current title race unfolding throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
City currently top the table, with Liverpool trailing in second just one point behind last season’s treble winners, meaning a win could see Jürgen Klopp’s side top the table once again.
Ahead of the blockbuster clash this weekend, Liverpool.com has gathered the necessary headlines you need before the game. We start with a player who could line up against the Reds on Saturday, but who once admitted he wanted a move to Anfield.
Joško Gvardiol was one of the hottest trends in world football following his performances for Croatia in the World Cup and RB Leipzig on a regular basis in European and league football, before eventually securing a move to City during the summer transfer window.
The $100m (£78m/€90m) fee has looked like a strong bit of business again from City, with the defender easing into life at the Etihad relatively easily, despite the pressures large price tags will so often carry. Despite eventually securing a move to Manchester, things could have been very different had Liverpool shown a legitimate interest in the player, who has admitted he has followed the Reds closely since a young age.
One dilemma facing Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp ahead of this weekend’s clash with Manchester City is who to start on the left wing, a position which will go head-to-head with England international and Premier League veteran, Kyle Walker.
Diogo Jota, Luís Diaz and Darwin Núñez are all candidates to start in the role, which inevitably be a tough contest against one of the most physically imposing full-backs in world football, given his combination of both pace and power.
It is a contest that even the very best of players have struggled with over the years, including Paris Saint Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé. Prior to the 2022 Qatar World Cup Quarter Final between England and France, Mbappé described Walker as a ‘tank that gains speed once launched’ (via The Independent).
France would go on to win the fixture 2-1, despite Walker having a strong showing against Mbappé, limiting France’s star man to just one shot on the evening. Read the full story by clicking here, with Klopp advised to pick his winger accordingly.