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"International break" are two of the least favorite words of club football fans the world around. Liverpool have come through the first two breaks relatively unscathed, which will only make the feeling of doom worse for the ETW crowd, given the team's incredible run of form. As they get set to host Watford on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool have put together an 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, so the two week break in action will be particularly unwelcome.
But there is still a game to be played before the long stretch of nothingness commences, and Walter Mazzarri's men will be the next team to run the Red gauntlet at Anfield, where Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 18 matches. After a comically eventful 4-2 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Liverpool again proved that their tireless attack was in overwhelmingly good form, even if their defense remains shaky.
Vice-captain James Milner is expected to return to the side after being out sick last week, so he should be replacing Alberto Moreno in the left-back position. The biggest question mark for Liverpool is whether it will be Georginio Wijnaldum or Emre Can who Klopp puts into the last midfield slot. Given their effectiveness, it's unlikely, barring injury or illness, that the front three of Sadio Mané, Philippe Coutinho, and Roberto Firmino will be changed.
As for Watford, it seems the team has begun what should be another solid season. They've accumulated 15 points in the first 10 games, and will come to Anfield having kept three consecutive clean sheets in the league. Of course, those clean sheets have been against the likes of Swansea, Middlesbrough, and Hull City, and they only managed two goals themselves in all three of those matches. If Liverpool's attack can find their way through Watford's defense, it could be another good day.
Predicted Starting Lineup (4-3-3):
Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner
Lallana, Henderson, Can
Mané, Firmino, Coutinho
Wijnaldum has been an important cog in Klopp's midfield machine in the opening matches. However, it's hard to imagine that a player with Emre Can's talent could be left on the sidelines for long, and given how well he played against Crystal Palace -- including scoring the opening goal -- chances are we'll see him starting again.
The sad news for Liverpool is that Danny Ings has picked up another serious injury that will see him miss out on the rest of the season. It's hard not to feel for Ings, who worked so hard to get his body back to full fitness after suffering his first season-ending knee injury last season. Ings would likely not have been one of the players selected by Klopp for the team on Sunday, but it remains sad news nonetheless. Happier to report is that Ings is Liverpool's only injury concern, for this match, now that Milner and Wijnaldum's lingering illnesses have passed.
For Watford, Sebastian Prodl is a doubt after he suffered an injury in their previous match. Craig Cathcart and Isaac Success are both out as well, while Stefano Okaka also remains doubtful.
Kickoff is set for 2:15PM GMT/9:15AM EST Sunday on Sky Sports 1 in the UK and NBC Sports Network in the US. Elsewhere, Optus Sport in Australia, TSN1 in Canada, Star Sports Select HD1 in India, SuperSport 3 Africa in Kenya, Astro SuperSport 3 in Malaysia, and 102 (HD) mio Stadium in Singapore are carrying the match. Online radio coverage is provided by BBC Radio 5 Live. You can find full listings at LivesoccerTV.
We'll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it's released, our live matchday thread and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on all the action as it happens.