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Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images
The Reds look to continue their quadruple run as they take aim at the FA Cup quarter final.
Liverpool vs Suthampton
| Wednesday, February 28th |
FA Cup | Anfield
8PM BST / 3PM EST
Just three days after their Carabao Cup heroics and subsequent celebration, it’s back to business for Jürgen Klopp’s men, as the injury-ridden Reds host Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton in the FA Cup round of 16.
It’s been a decent enough return to the second tier for the Saints after last year’s relegation, as the club sits fourth in the table, behind fellow relegatees Leicester and Leeds, as well as surprise package Ipswich Town, and Russell Martin will hope that even if direct promotion were to elude them, his team would be in with a good chance at moving up the Premier League through the play-offs.
The two teams drew 4-4 in a ridiculous match at at St Mary’s to end last season, but Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for the Saints, who only have a single win on Merseyside since 2013.
The visitors sport a near clean bill of health — unlike their hosts — and with the exception of Ryan Fraser, missing with a knee injury, will be able to call on all their best players, including top scorers Adam Armstrong and Che Adams, as well as promising attackers Sékou Mara and Samuel Edozie, as they look to cause an upset in a competition they haven’t won in nearly 50 years.
Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Kelleher; Bradley, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Mac Allister, Elliott; Gakpo, Darwin, Salah
For the Reds, the starting XI is roughly 60% question marks. Trent Alexander-Arnold remains a long-term injury absence, so starts for Conor Bradley and Andy Robertson at fullback seems likely, while Ibrahima Konaté should partner captain Virgil van Dijk in the centre of defense. Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez remain available if needed.
In midfield, Wataru Endo joined Ryan Gravenberch in leaving the stadium in a boot on Sunday, but unlike the Dutchman, the former will be a matchday decision. Dominik Szoboszlai is being monitored and could feature, though an immediate return to the starting XI is unlikely. Thiago, Stefan Bajcetic and Curtis Jones all miss out.
Up top, Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah could both be in contention, having missed the squad entirely against Chelsea, while Luis Díaz, who played the full 120 minutes and was devastatingly out of gas by the end, should be afforded a spot on the bench, opening the door for Cody Gakpo. Diogo Jota remains absent due to a knee injury.
What the Managers Said
Jürgen Klopp: “I don’t know exactly how he’s [Russell Martin] weighing it up, my colleague, I don’t know him, I just like the way his team plays football. So, we will see. Before a game we always have a chance. We never have more. So that’s what we will try to take.”
Russell Martin: “There’s always pressure. No one will expect us to get anything outside of this building. I think the challenge for us is to be the team we want to be. Now we’re going to Anfield which is an amazing place to play. If you don’t get excited by all of that or embrace that challenge or look forward to it, then you are probably in the wrong game.”
The Officials
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistant referees: Adam Nunn, Steven Meredith
Fourth official: Rebecca Welch
VAR: Tony Harrington, Stuart Attwell, Stuart Burt
Kickoff is set for 8PM GMT/3PM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV.
In the meantime, and as always, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.
