Luton at Home PL Match 26

[SB]

1930 on Wednesday 21st Feb. No idea of who’s showing it on TV over there sorry.

Changes are expected with the Cup Final on Sunday plus a few injuries from the weekend. Who do you think starts this? Hopefully a strong X1 & put the game to bed by HT but we can only hope.

Kelleher
Bradley
Gomez
Quansah
Robbo
Mac
Endo
Gravenberch
Gordon
Gakpo
Diaz

[The_weatherman]

Difficult this, before putting out this team, you'd have to ask, do you want three points or the League Cup, I'd probably take the three points now.

So for me,

Kelleher

Bradley
Virgil
Quansah
Robbo

Clark
Endo
Gravenberch

Elliott
Gakpo
Diaz

With Mac coming on for Endo around 60, or McConnel if things are going swimmingly, Kostas for Robbo, Gordon, Gomez etc. as well.

[BigChief]

Salah on the bench then?

Elliot, Gakpo and Diaz line up has already proven to be listless in past games. But Bradley and Robbo offer encouragement as a constant source of of opportunities from width.

Mac needs to start, his killer passes through the middle will be vital.

[The_weatherman]

Just saw some rumours of Salah being injured again, it scared me tbh

[spud_gun]

I'd be tempted to start Tsimikas and rest Robbo ahead of the Cup Final.

Robbo's been out for 4 months. 2 games a week after such a long period is a big ask

[The_weatherman]

Salah on the bench then?

Elliot, Gakpo and Diaz line up has already proven to be listless in past games. But Bradley and Robbo offer encouragement as a constant source of of opportunities from width.

Mac needs to start, his killer passes through the middle will be vital.

If Salah is out, I agree regarding Mac, but we can't ask him to play two games a week, every week, Endo needs a break somewhere too. Worried that increasing workload on others will just lead to more injuries. Too bad Doak is still out, he'd get some minutes now! Bajcetic too.

We have Clark, McConnell and Gordon coming through, any chance they'll get any minutes now? Or others even from the youth team like Kane-Doherty, Koumas or Nyoni?

[The_weatherman]

I'd be tempted to start Tsimikas and rest Robbo ahead of the Cup Final.

Robbo's been out for 4 months. 2 games a week after such a long period is a big ask

Yeah, thought so too, but honestly, I feel the points are at least as important.

[BigChief]

If Salah is out, I agree regarding Mac, but we can't ask him to play two games a week, every week, Endo needs a break somewhere too. Worried that increasing workload on others will just lead to more injuries. Too bad Doak is still out, he'd get some minutes now! Bajcetic too.

We have Clark, McConnell and Gordon coming through, any chance they'll get any minutes now? Or others even from the youth team like Kane-Doherty, Koumas or Nyoni?

I commented on the 2024 thread that we go strong-ish in these two games then give over worked players a break for the Southampton and Europa games. We need the 3 points here and that cup on the weekend so worth taking the risk.

[Scratch]

Anyone think that prioritising the league over the Cup final is a must at this point in time? I know it's a cup final, and it's "only Luton" but would you risk resting players to have a full strength side for the Final, or go balls out in the next match and then pick the Final team based on the aftermath?

[Doc_Piptorious]

Anyone think that prioritising the league over the Cup final is a must at this point in time? I know it's a cup final, and it's "only Luton" but would you risk resting players to have a full strength side for the Final, or go balls out in the next match and then pick the Final team based on the aftermath?

Go as strong as we can as often as we can from here on in imo.


Only games that we might be able to go a bit weaker in will be favourable FA ties or if we have a big lead in one leg of a EL game.

[Exiled_red]

We need to win this one, but with a cup final at the weekend and the injuries we have picked up and a number of players on their way back from injuries etc I think that it's very much about managing minutes at the moment. Full backs are a bit of an issue, I wouldn't expect Robertson to play two games in a week given he has just come back from injury, but Tsimikas is also coming back from injury, so I'm not sure he is ready for 90mins. Gomez played alot of football recently so could probably do with a rest too. In an ideal world you wouldn't play Bradley 2 games in a week either, but I suspect needs must. At CB not sure if we would play Konate 2 games in a week either, if Gomez is plating elsewhere probably means Quansah plays.

Midfield we only have 4 'senior' midfielders fit - Endo, MacAllister, Elliot and Gravenberch, the last two haven't really been regular starters so if we are wanting/needing to rest anyone in midfield we will likely be rather weakened from our typical lineup.

Up front I suspect Jota's injury meant that we gave Salah more minutes than we were planning at the weekend, whether he picked up a knock or what I wouldn't expect him to play 90mins, I would probably expect him to be on the bench and come on for the last 30mins or so, which means the rest of the forward line picks itself.

[Paul12]

Go as strong as we can as often as we can from here on in imo.


Only games that we might be able to go a bit weaker in will be favourable FA ties or if we have a big lead in one leg of a EL game.

And anyway, Luton have put in some pretty neat performances recently.

But I would give Harv, Gomez and Quansah a game, so:

So
Kelleher
Bradley
Quansah
VVD
Gomez
Elliott
Endo
Macca
Salah
Gakpo
Diaz

With Darwin (hopefully), Robbo, Konate, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Clark on the bench

[spud_gun]

Anyone think that prioritising the league over the Cup final is a must at this point in time? I know it's a cup final, and it's "only Luton" but would you risk resting players to have a full strength side for the Final, or go balls out in the next match and then pick the Final team based on the aftermath?

For the time being the League cup is our best chance of winning a trophy this season therefore we ought to go as strong as possible on Sunday and rest players who're either carrying knocks or returning from lengthy spells out again Luton.

There'd be nothing worse than Klopp ending the season empty handed.

[Mark79]

A League Cup isn’t going to make or break the season.

The PL should be our priority, though players with knocks/fatigue issues will obviously have a better chance for Sunday than midweek.

[spud_gun]

What if we don't win anything else? I'd much rather Klopp rides off into the sunset with at least one trophy this season