Liverpool fans will be disappointed to see no Cody Gakpo on the team sheet, but that does not mean the Reds do not have enough firepower to pull off a road victory vs. Brentford. Kotas Tsiimikas and Ibrahima Konaté also return to the Starting XI, anchoring the back line. That spells trouble for the Bees who will be without the services of Ivan Toney. Toney was injured late in Brentford's victory over West Ham United, but Brentford boss Thomas Frank was hopeful his star striker could give it a go against the Reds.
Liverpool Line Up
Starters
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, VanDijk, Tsimikas, Fabinho, Thiago, Elliott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Núñez
Substitutes
Kelleher, Gomez, Keita, Jones, Robertson, Carvalho, Matip, Bajcetic, Phillips
Brentford Line Up
Starters
Raya, Henry, Pinnock, Norgaard, Jensen, Wissa, Zanka, Mee, Mmobeu, Janelt, Roerslev
Substitutes
Strakosha, Canos, DaSilva, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Sorensen, Carma, Trevitt
LFC Global Verdict
On paper, life just got a lot easier for the Reds. Two top defenders in Konaté and Tismikas return to the lineup and Brentford will be without their top-scoring threat. The next man on the scoring list only has 3 goals on the year, so the Bees might have trouble finding the back of the net. But Liverpool have been heavily favored before and dropped 1, if not all 3 points. Under the circumstances, though, anything less than a win will be a disappointment.