There are a few controversial picks here.
The international break is over and we’re welcoming back the clubs by putting Liverpool’s best in a combined team with Manchester United.
The pick of the games this weekend is undoubtedly Manchester United’s trip to Anfield to take on arch-rivals Liverpool in what will be the toughest task so far this season for Jose Mourinho’s charges.
A victory for the visitors could cause irreparable damage to the Reds’ season whereas a Liverpool win would be the sweetest tasting for the home supporters.
Ahead of the game, which is the one that is the first circled in the calendar by fans of both sides, we’ve taken a look at putting together a combined XI of players who are fit and available for selection… That means no Paul Pogba, no Sadio Mane and no Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Here’s what we came up with.
Goalkeeper
Not even Simon Mignolet would argue that David De Gea doesn’t deserve this place. No point in even wasting finger strength typing an extra word on the matter.
Defence
There were a few tough calls to be made here because Joel Matip has flattered to deceive but he’s also not had a solid partner in central defence. He would have that in United’s Eric Bailly so we’ve paired them up because Phil Jones just has one too many mistakes in him to earn a spot. Antonio Valencia was once thought of as a makeshift right back but he’s developed into one of the best in the world in that position. Alberto Moreno simply isn’t reliable enough whereas Ashley Young has deputised admirably at left back when utilised there so the England international gets the nod ahead of the walking liability that is Moreno.
Midfield
There might be an argument to be made for Emre Can’s inclusion but Nemanja Matic is simply more consistent than the Reds man and we’ve opted to drop Philippe Coutinho into a more central role to allow for the width of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has a wonderful habit of setting up goals, and Mo Salah, whose return to Premier League life has been seamless.
Forwards
Marcus Rashford’s future is in a central role, he’s just too great a finisher to be frequently caught out wide and there was never any doubt who was going to lead the line because Romelu Lukaku currently sits atop the Premier League goalscoring charts.
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