MIDFIELD:
STEVEN GERRARD, JORDAN HENDERSON, RAHEEM STERLING, ADAM LALLANA, PHILIPPE COUTINHO
Having been fielded initially in ‘the hole’ against QPR, Steven Gerrard was quickly moved back to the central midfield role in the second half and the side looked better with him there. Against Hull, Rodgers may either opt for a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 and even though Joe Allen and Emre Can provide options alongside Gerrard, it would mostly be Jordan Henderson that would be deployed in the central double pivot yet again.
Raheem Sterling has been Liverpool’s star performer this season that he has started all but one match and has been forced to play the full 90 minutes in all but three games so far in the Premier League. Having been featured relentlessly, the youngster is slowly starting to show the signs of fatigue and Rodgers would be wary of it. But still, with Liverpool trying to find their combinations right, Rodgers is likely to start him yet again and would hope to sub him off towards the later part of the match.
Adam Lallana is expected to be recalled in the left of midfield after he came off the bench to replace Mario Balotelli at half-time against Real Madrid. The former Southampton captain has been eased into the squad after his return from an injury that kept him out at the start of the season and now seems to be getting back to his devastating form from last season.
Phillipe Coutinho was dropped from the side after a poor run of form, but came back strong with an impressive outing and a very important goal against QPR. Coutinho came close to adding one more to his tally when he hit the bar against Real Madrid in Liverpool’s Champions League tie. He would hope he could get another start and continue his good form.
FORWARD:
RICKIE LAMBERT
With the jersey-swap issue adding fuel to his miserable form, Mario Balotelli is likely to be benched for the match on Saturday. With Daniel Sturridge already out with injury, this would open up the chance for Rickie Lambert to start upfront. The veteran has not got enough chances to start and would cherish this opportunity and would look to open his tally for Liverpool.