Dugout Discussion

Kabak makes Liverpool debut and Vardy returns to Leicester City starting line-up

Ozan Kabak (£5.0m) is the latest man to partner auxiliary centre-half Jordan Henderson (£5.4m) for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

With Fabinho (£5.4m) ruled for the Reds with a muscle injury, the German’s hand was forced into another backline shuffle.

Ben Davies (£5.0m), also brought in as centre-back cover, is not part of the Liverpool matchday 18 due to a knock. Nat Phillips (£4.0m) is on the bench after deputising in Gameweek 22. On Kabak, Klopp said ahead of the early DGW24 kick-off:

It was a good training week for him, an important training week for him. Unfortunately, Ben Davies picked up a little knock as well so…it’s unbelievable.

Ozan looked good in training. The boys got used to each other. Of course today is a proper test against Leicester; against Vardy, against Maddison, against Barnes. It will be tricky but we think we are prepared.

On Leicester, Klopp added:

They can change systems, they are really strong and are extremely good at the counter attack.

Along with Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara (£5.6m) is the other player to drop out of Klopp’s XI from the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in Gameweek 23. James Milner (£5.3m) is the man drafted into the midfield three.

Otherwise things are as we might expect for the champions. Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) Sadio Mane (£11.9m) Roberto Firmino (£9.3m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) Andy Robertson (£7.3m) and Alisson (£5.9m) all start. Ahead of kick off, Alexander-Arnold told BT Sport:

It’s huge for us, coming here is always difficult. We’ve had a week to work on things, it’s chop and change at the back at the moment but we have to get used to that.

We are prepared for a few systems that Leicester may use and we think we can hurt them.

In embargoed quotes on Friday night, Klopp had said of Kabak and Davies:

Yeah, [Kabak is a] calm person. So, both Ben [Davies] and Ozan are calm people, willing to learn, great attitude. They really throw themselves in everything that is ahead of them – what a defender should do. Making big steps, adapting to the way we play, that’s important.

We have still a clear way to defend, which is important, because if both of them would be on the pitch, then there are still nine players who are used to what we did before – so if the two players would do something differently that would lead to a strange situation.

It’s all good so far. Now we have to make decisions. We have to change again because of Fab and now we will see which solution we will take.

Leicester could be using a back four or a wing-back system at the King Power stadium, with Brendan Rodgers coy in his pre-match interview. When BT Sport suggest the Foxes were in playing in a different shape, Rodgers responded:

Well you’ll see…not really. I think we have the flexibility to play in that [different formation]. That’s been the pleasing element of the team’s development in specific games. We can adapt and change.

Jamie Vardy (£10.0m) returns to the Leicester league XI for the first time since Double Gameweek 19. The forward did log 29 minutes as a sub in GW23 and started the midweek FA Cup win against Brighton.

James Maddison (£7.4m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.9m) could flank Vardy in a 3-4-3 set up, while Wilfred Ndidi (£4.8m) also makes his injury return to start in midfield.

Ricardo Pereira (£5.9m) looks set to operate at either left-back or left wing-back, with £3.9m defender Daniel Amartey playing on the right-hand side of Rodgers’ defence.

Unfortunately, the aformentioned James Justin will be out for a lengthy period after an ACL injury in that FA Cup this tie. Rodgers stated on Saturday:

He [Justin] has an operation next week and hopefully he’ll be back within a number of months. Big blow for us.

Leicester XI (4-1-4-1 or 3-4-3): Schmeichel; R Pereira, Soyuncu, Evans, Amartey; Ndidi; Barnes, Maddison, Tielemans, Albrighton; Vardy.

Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Robertson, Henderson, Kabak, Alexander-Arnold; Jones, Wijnaldum, Milner; Mane, Firmino, Salah.

1,411 Comments Post a Comment
  1. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Maddison is fire.

  2. Sandy Ravage
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Madders!

  3. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Q 1-1

    Cheers

  4. Londongeezaa
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Sold Robbo this week. I needed that 🙂

  5. Party time
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Liverpool football club

    • King Carlos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Major league BS that! And I have Maddy

    • Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Liverpool fans weeping about to start, love to see it.

    • Hazard_18
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yess!!! Thats my boyyyyyy Maddisonnnnn

    • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      OMG Vardy

      1. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        LOL

    • sminkypinky
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Looooooooooool

    • Londongeezaa
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      OMG 2-1 Leicester

    • how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      allison disaster

      vardy 2-1

    • George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Nicely done Maddison. Not owning Salah maybe not so tear jerking / season ending after all.

    • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      😆 allison wow

    • AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      2-1

    • EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Lol

    • bialk
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Alison again

    • KGFC
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Alison again!!!!

      Vardy party!!!

    • Il Capitano
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Oh my word

    • Stormbringer22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I love how those arbitrary dotted lines change every week. Sometimes it is to the armpit, sometimes not. What a joke VAR is

    • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      allison and kabak

    • Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yeeesss Barnes assist juhuhuhu

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Get in

    • FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Party juhuuuu

    • A. PRISE
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Well done Thiago

    • Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA LOOOL

    • Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Sold Moddershall for Sterling. Better come good

    • Sterling Malory
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Maddison 1st sub, yay!

      1. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Same:/ Antonio no show?

        1. Sterling Malory
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Fingers crossed, especially as a Sheff Utd fan.

    • SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Get in Vardy!!!

    • Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Maddy on my bench, why did I play Son

    • Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      😆 😆 😆