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With European competition no longer on the calendar, Liverpool's fixture list suddenly has far more space, and after the next few days, they'll have a bit of time for recovery in a season that's already seen them surpass the total number of fixtures in the 2013-2014 season. They've coped well during their most congested period, but additional time can only be a good thing for a squad whose injuries, while mostly minor, have stacked up at times.
Tomorrow will still be their third match in six days, though, and with Blackburn in the FA Cup on Sunday, Brendan Rodgers will have to be mindful of how his squad is holding up in another busy week. He can't afford to select a completely changed or second-choice eleven, of course, as Liverpool's recent successes in the Premier League mean that every point is crucial in the race for a top four finish, but it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes he makes from the weekend.
And as Rodgers mentioned in his pre-match comments yesterday, Burnley aren't a side that can be overlooked despite their standing in the league table. They've only won once in 2015, but they have played nearly every opponent tough over the course of the 90 minutes, and they managed a draw at Stamford Bridge in a match that included a fair share of controversy.
Last time out, a 1-0 loss at home to Swansea City, manager Sean Dyche started with Tom Heaton in goal, Kieran Trippier, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, and Michael Keane in defense, Michael Kightly, David Jones, George Boyd, and Scott Arfield in the midfield, and Liverpool target Danny Ings leading the line with Ashley Barnes in support. Dyche will continue to be without Matthew Taylor, Dean Marney, and Kevin Long.
For Liverpool:
Mignolet
Can Skrtel Sakho
Markovic Henderson Allen Moreno
Lallana Coutinho
Sturridge
Yesterday brought the revelation that Jordon Ibe had been injured in the course of Liverpool's loss to Besiktas last Thursday, meaning he'll be out between three to four weeks rehabbing an LCL injury. He'll be ruled out tomorrow along with Jon Flanagan, Brad Jones, Jose Enrique, and Lucas, with Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, and Mamadou Sakho expected back in the near future.
Of those mentioned, only Sakho is a nailed-on starter upon returning, and if he is fit tomorrow, he should come straight back into the side. Dejan Lovren was improved on Sunday and got better as the match wore on, but there's still a significant gap between him and Sakho, and the Frenchman wins out as long as he's healthy. Emre Can looks set to retain his spot on the right with Martin Skrtel central, with both in need of a rest that will likely wait until the weekend, if it comes at all.
No changes expected at wingback or in central midfield, though a shift for one of Adam Lallana or Raheem Sterling to right wingback could allow for Brendan Rodgers to retain another starter from Sunday's win. Both spent time there in the second half of the win over Manchester City, but another start for Lazar Markovic appears more likely with Alberto Moreno on the left and Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen, both of whom were excellent two days ago, in the middle.
Daniel Sturridge should start here, with one of Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho, or Raheem Sterling rotated. Of those three, Sterling would seem the most likely given that he played a full 120-plus minutes in Turkey and another 90 against Manchester City. Lallana and Coutinho were excellent on Sunday and are the preferred pairing at this point, with the latter in particular having what's been the best few months of his Liverpool career. Sterling and Mario Balotelli should provide quality options off the bench up front.
Kickoff is set for 8:00PM GMT/3:00PM EST on Wednesday, with NBC Sports Premier League Extra Time airing the match in the US. Our coverage will continue with any breaking team news, team sheets when they’re released, and live coverage tomorrow including full viewing options and post-match reactions. If you haven’t already, sign up for an SB Nation account and join us for it.
