The popular Mohamed Salah (£13.3m) could be set for an interesting indvidual battle with Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte (£5.9m) tonight.
The Egyptian features in the front three of Liverpool’s 4-3-3 formation, while versatile Frenchman Laporte has been handed the left-back berth for the first time this season with Fabian Delph (5.3m) suspended. It is unclear as yet which Reds option will be going up against Laporte directly, with Salah, Roberto Firmino (£9.1m) and Sadio Mané (£9.5m) all likely to drift to his flank on occasion in Liverpool’s fluid attack.
That means a start at centre-back for both Vincent Kompany (£5.2m) and John Stones (£5.2m), while Danilo (£5.1m) appears to remain ahead of the benched Kyle Walker (£6.4m) at right-back, starting for the third match in a row.
Sergio Aguero (£11.2m) is back in the line-up for the first time in a home Premier League match since Gameweek 12. He could be the difference tonight having averaged 9.6 points in matches at the Eithad Stadium this season.
Meanwhile, reports that Andrew Robertson (£6.6m) had not travelled with the Liverpool squad were quashed by the fact that the Scottish international was named in the side for the big match. His individual match-up with Raheem Sterling (£11.3m) could easily be a defining factor in the contest.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.1m) has been entrusted with keeping Leroy Sané (£9.5m) under wraps on the opposite flank.
It’s Georginio Wijnaldum (£5.5m), James Milner (£5.6m) and Jordan Henderson (£5.3m) in central midfield for Liverpool, with Xherdan Shaqiri (£7.1m), Fabinho (£5.5m) and Naby Keita (£7.2m) waiting on the bench.
Ilkay Gundogan (£5.4m) and Kevin de Bruyne (£9.7m) come through their injury doubts to be named as substitutes for Manchester City.
Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Laporte, Stones, Kompany, Danilo; D Silva, Fernandinho, B Silva; Sané, Aguero, Sterling.
Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Robertson, van Dijk, Lovren, Alexander-Arnold; Wijnaldum, Milner, Henderson; Mané, Firmino, Salah.
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5 years, 3 months agoWhat's with that biceps bands?