Liverpool v Leicester By Simon Mack

Liverpool vs Leicester City

Saturday 5^th October 15:00

Anfield

Brendan Rodgers will stride through the Shankly Gates for the first time since departing from the Anfield hot seat almost 4 years ago to the day.

Back then Liverpool were just 8 games into the 2015/16 season and the 225^th Merseyside derby ended in a 1-1 draw with Rodgers sacked just an hour after the final whistle. His return is expected to be fondly welcomed, and as he walks back into Anfield he will be heading for the visitors dressing room with his hugely impressive Leicester City side.

For the host’s manager Jurgen Klopp it marks a meeting with his landlord! Klopp lives in Rodgers home near Formby, and city boss has alluded to it being his idea for his successor to rent his old pad from him when player Liaison officer Ray Haughan informed him that Klopp was struggling to find a place to live.

Klopp will be pondering on the selection of his goalkeeper for this one as Brazilian Alisson is declared fit again for action. Joel Matip picked up a knock again Sheffield Utd and will almost certainly sit out this top 4 clash.

The reds made hard work of their eventual 4-3 victory over Red Bull Saltzburg mid-week in the Champions League, and in midfield they may be some flux with Naby Keita hoping to get the nod to play alongside Fabinho.

Foxes boss Rodgers has had many fond words to say for his side’s opposition in the build up to this one, and with Jordan Henderson and James Milner still at the club from his reign he has extoled his joy at seeing the reds skipper lift the Champions League trophy last term.

In a similar vein Liverpool boss Klopp has expressed his hopes for a warm reception for Rodgers on his return to merseyside and has been gushing in his praise for the city gaffer both for his more recent success with the foxes and his double treble at in Glasgow Celtic.

And whilst it all seems to be highly respectful and friendly in the build up to the game the gravity of this match and what the ultimate result with mean for both sides is sure to decree that friendly approach will soon cease come time for kick off.

For city there has been a huge boost this week as star midfield man James Maddison was declared fully fit for the trip north. The foxes highly regarded midfielder has made the England squad once again too, and he’ll be eager to catch the eye of England Head Coach Gareth Southgate in what will be the biggest league challenge for Leicester so far this season.

In form Jamie Vardy will be hoping to continue his rich pickings on this visit to Merseyside too. Only 2 other strikers have had more joy at Anfield since the Premier League’s inception than Vardy, and with 2 last week against Newcastle and 5 so far this season he is one ahead of the host’s top scorer Mo Salah so far this term.

Of course the hosts have Sadio Mane to call upon as a potent force in and around the box to boot. He’s bagged 4 this season to date and another successful strike this weekend will see him net his 50^th goal for Liverpool in his 100^th league outing for the club.

The pundits all seem to be largely opting for a narrow home victory in this one and the bookies are echoing that sentiment. For Liverpool this match would mark the continuation of their perfect win record in the Premier League to date this season along with the 13^th consecutive home victory in all competitions at home.

For Rodgers the quandary at hand in this one will be tactical. City have a talented and capable pair of defensive midfielders in Wilfred Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury, and it will be interesting to see if the Leicester boss decides to deploy both of them for this one in an attempt to give his foxes more bite against Liverpool’s rampant attack.

With Maddison back and likely to feature it will also be intriguing to discover the fate of the hugely impressive Dennis Praet. The Belgian midfielder deputised admirably for Maddion in last week’s 5-0 demolition of Newcastle and deserves to feature in some manner in what will be one of the trickiest tests that city will face this term.

Any points from this game for the foxes will be a further indication of the lofty potential of this bright, organised and talented side Rodger’s is developing, and with some outstanding performances already under their belt this season if city do go and get something at Anfield the quiet hopes of the foxes faithful for this season’s outcome may just grow a little louder.

Liverpool possible line up:

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane

Leicester possible line up:

Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell, Ndidi, Choudhury, Praet, Maddison, Tielemans, Vardy