Jurgen Klopp has named Kostas Tsimikas at left-back in the absence of Andy Robertson, as Liverpool meet Everton on their return to Anfield.
At last, the international break is over. However, it brought the bad news of Robertson’s shoulder injury which now requires surgery and will keep him out of the rest of 2023.
The Reds have no time to lament the loss of the left-back, though, as yet another early kick-off immediately follows an international break for Klopp’s side.
And after sitting out of both of Brazil’s qualifiers, Alisson is back where he belongs for Liverpool.
The Brazilian starts behind a back four of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Tsimikas, who is making his first league start of the season.
In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is entrusted once more in the No. 6 role and is joined by Dominik Szoboszlai and a fresh Ryan Gravenberch in his first Premier League start.
To lead the attack, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz join Mohamed Salah – the Egyptian will be aiming to make it for fourth consecutive league games at Anfield with a goal.
As for Cody Gakpo, he is not fit enough to take a place on the bench. But Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott are two options for Klopp this afternoon.
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Jota, Diaz
Substitutes: Kelleher, Gomez, Quansah, Matip, Scanlon, Endo, McConnell, Elliott, Nunez
Everton: Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; McNeil, Onana, Garner, Harrison; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin
Substitutes: Virginia, Keane, Godfrey, Patterson, Gueye, Chermiti, Dobbin, Danjuma, Beto