Jurgen Klopp yet to decide on Liverpool game plan ahead of Chelsea clash
Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has asserted he is yet to find a formation to start against Chelsea as both clubs gear up for their first game of the 2023–24 Premier League season on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool concluded their pre-season series with a 3-1 win over SV Darmstadt 98, as goals from Mohamed Salah, Diego Jota, and Luiz Diaz sealed the deal for the Reds. Meanwhile, Chelsea, under Mauricio Pochettino, won the Premier League summer series as they concluded their pre-season in the USA with a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
Both teams will hope to deploy a strong XI in a bid to win their inaugural Premier League game. Pochettino remains in a dilemma as he demands a more experienced signing in midfield.
However, Klopp claims he is yet to find a formation to play against Chelsea, and speaking to the media after the game, (h/t Metro), he said:
‘’It’s clear; we looked fresh and really good. In the next six days, we have to find a formation for Chelsea and not for the whole season. ‘ Nobody got injured; everyone got through okay.”
Klopp’s main concern was to refine the Liverpool midfield, and so far the Reds have signed two quality players in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. However, they are still in the running to sign Romeo Lavia, and a recent bid from them was turned down by Southampton.
The same is true for Chelsea, who have sufficient depth in both their offensive and defensive lines but lack experience in their midfield, where only Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez have ever played for the first team.
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The former Borussia Dortmund manager will likely start a 4-3-3 formation. While Pochettino may employ the 4-2-3-1 formation with an attacking football approach. Both have previously met with Klopp more or less getting the better of Pochettino on several occasions. Time will tell if the Liverpool boss’s statements are just mind games ahead of thew weekend’s clash.