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. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    ⚽ Team News 📰
    CRYSTAL PALACE : Guaita, Clyne, Dann, Kouyate, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, Riedewald, Eze, Ayew, Batshuayi, Benteke.
    Subs: Butland, Ward, Townsend, Mateta, Cahill, Mitchell, Kelly.

    BURNLEY : Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Barnes, Rodriguez.
    Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Brownhill, Brady, Stephens, Bardsley, Long, Dunne, Glennon, Mumbongo.

    1. Londongeezaa
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Let’s go Pole and Mee 🙂

      1. George Sillett
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You're not on adult sites now.

        1. Londongeezaa
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          🙂

    2. Yankee Toffee
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      The Pope.

    3. In Bale We Trust
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      0-0 to come pls

    4. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      No Vydra

  2. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    90 goals and 38 assists in 3 and a half seasons. Nothing short of sensational. Will go down as one of the best players in Premier league history yet people still disrespect him on the daily

  3. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    BARNES STARTS!!!

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Season not over

    2. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      74 minutes played already

    3. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      imagine owning Barnes

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Like night follows day Pukki.

        Didn't even take half an hour!!

    4. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes, we can enjoy those 2 points incoming.

  4. Ginkapo FPL
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Remember that Firmino is the most overated player in the prem

  5. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone but Salah. Such a good goal though

    1. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thanks

  6. Eh, just one more thing ...
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Now a Barnes equaliser would be sublime ...

  7. Jack Burton
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Lowton and Mee check

  8. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    When did Zidane enter Firmino's soul?

  9. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    OMG Pope starts! Scenes!

  10. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Trent & Robbo cs and baps.

    What year is it?

  11. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gibbs coming on

  12. Stormbringer22
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    LiveFPL web page keeps getting better and better. Seems like every week a new useful addition has been added to the website. Well done and thank you to all involved that work hard to make that web page!

    1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes. Absolutely amazing the kind of work @Ragabolly and his team are putting in!

    2. SomewhatPleasing
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Top stuff.

  13. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Burnley are definitely conceding

    1. Stormbringer22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Let's hope so

  14. boc610
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    maddison looks like wayne rooney with some air let out

  15. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    just need a Leicester goal

  16. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Triple Burnley check?

    1. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Double Burnley. My balls are not that big.

  17. FPL price manipulators are …
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benteke and Batshuyi give me confidence

  18. Muchentuchel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Never in my whole life I wanted Burnley to score a hattie.

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      McNeill can do this

  19. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Evans goal would be nice now

  20. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    penalty leicester

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      free kick sorry!

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        😆

        1. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Pen??

      2. FPL price manipulators are …
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        It's alright. Your allowed a slip up

  21. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Lowton with his first ever hattrick today?

    1. Il Capitano
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

  22. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Leicester fk very close to pen

  23. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    thiago 😆

  24. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    As soon as I sell Robbo he goes and gets Max BAPS

  25. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benteke starts...Pope captainers rejoice!

  26. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    That's a isn't it?

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      no pen

  27. Muchentuchel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thiago is useless af.

  28. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Vardy party time?

  29. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Looks in.

  30. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Not even close to being inside the box. Get on with it.