As the intense run of games temporarily slowed down as we moved through January, things are about to start picking up again as the Reds face a tough run of games over the next few weeks. Starting with the FA Cup fourth round, with West Ham coming to Anfield.
Thankfully, Liverpool came through the 120 minutes and penalties on Tuesday night with no new serious injuries, and the three day break before Saturday at 17:30 will provide Jurgen’s boys with plenty of time to recover and squeeze in a few training sessions before the match.
The home team have seen a lengthy injury list ease up slightly, with Jon Flanagan back in the team, Dejan Lovren back in training ahead of Stoke on Tuesday. Whilst the cup match has come too soon for Martin Skrtel and Philippe Coutinho, both are expected to return to training in the next week or so.
Both Lovren and Flanagan will be expected to play a part on tonight, which may see a change up in the back four. And with a quick trip to Leicester on Tuesday next week, we’re likely to see a bit of rotation which may see the likes of Joe Allen, Jordan Ibe, Christian Benteke and a smattering of youngsters given a start.
Elsewhere, West Ham are looking a little bit more healthy in the injuries department but will still be missing the likes of Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho, whilst captain Mark Noble remains a slight doubt.
West Ham, traditionally, don’t have the greatest record at Anfield but this season, a 2-nil home win and 3-nil Anfield win will no doubt leave Bilic quietly confident about his side’s chances.
As they like to say about FA Cup ties though, form and previous records usually count for little and both sides will no doubt fancy their chances.
