OPINION
Liverpool cannot afford to drop points against Chelsea on Sunday and must be ready for a battle.
Jurgen Klopp has no doubt done his homework on which Blues players could cause his Reds’ side the most problems and no doubt has highlighted Callum Hudson-Odoi as being one to watch.
The 18-year-old winger who is capable of bamboozling any Premier League defence with his silky dribbling skills is likely to face the Reds on Sunday as he seems to have forced his way into Maurizio Sarri’s first-team plans.
However while the Reds no doubt have their instructions on how to handle Hudson-Odoi on Sunday already, they should now be extra wary.
This is because the Daily Mail report that England manager Gareth Southgate is set to attend the Reds’ clash with Chelsea in order to personally check on Hudson-Odoi.
The newspaper claim that with Harry Kane out injured, which means he may miss the Nations League in June, then Southgate is considering naming the Chelsea dazzler in his summer squad in case the Tottenham forward doesn’t win his race to be fit.
This news will likely filter through to Hudson-Odoi and probably make him a more dangerous prospect to face.
The talented teenager will know he will have to wow Southgate in order to force the international manager’s hand, as the Mail also reveals that the original plan was not to play Hudson-Odoi at the Nations League tournament, but instead let him feature for the England U-21s at the European Championships.
Hudson-Odoi will therefore try to play out of his skin in order to stake his claim for a senior spot with his nation, and the Reds should be extra wary as a result.
