Super Cup team news – Liverpool vs Chelsea predicted line-ups with Allison out and will Frank Lampard ring changes after Man Utd hammering?
CHELSEA and Liverpool do battle in Istanbul on Wednesday to compete for the UEFA Super Cup.
The Europa League and Champions League winners come into the game in vastly different moods.
After the Reds opened the Premier League campaign and reaffirmed their title challenge with a 4-1 cruise past Norwich, Frank Lampard's debut ended in a 4-0 defeat at Manchester United.
That may prompt the Blues boss into shaking things up amid criticism of his inexperienced line-up.
Chelsea are under a transfer ban and had N'Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic missing from the starting XI at Old Trafford.
But all three are expected to start at Vodafone Park with Lampard's men the big underdogs.
That could consign youngsters Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount to the bench with Mateo Kovacic also likely to pay the price for an average display.
Marcos Alonso is another who sat out the defeat and the Spaniard will hope to oust Emerson Palmieri at left-back.
There are no new injuries for Lampard to contend with Willian, Antonio Rudiger, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi unavailable.
The major news for Liverpool is that Alisson Becker is out for a few weeks with the calf problem that cropped up during Friday's win.
New signing Adrian will deputise with former Preston veteran Andy Lonergan signing a short-term deal to sit on the bench.
Sadio Mane was among the substitutes in the league opener after his time at the Africa Cup of Nations but is now fit to start in Turkey - and replace the in-form Divock Origi.
Klopp said ahead of the game: “I think he would have been ready to start on Friday, but after five days and having two players on the pitch with pretty much no pre-season up front you have to look a little bit at how you can do it.
“It’s not clear from the first second which three players you have to change, especially with them, which kills all your plans when the goalie leaves the pitch that early.
"So I think it was the right thing to do, but he’s for sure fresher now, fitter now, and yeah, he is ready.”
OX IN THE BOX
Klopp picked the same midfield against both Manchester City in the Community Shield and Norwich, perhaps prompting a bit of rotation.
Most likely to drop out are Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum, giving space for Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to come in.
James Milner is also in contention as Liverpool take a squad only shorn of Alisson and Nathaniel Clyne to Istanbul.
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But further, more unexpected changes are on the cards as Klopp admitted the need to consider Saturday's league trip to Southampton.
The German noted: "After [Chelsea] we need to think about the Southampton game, we come back on Thursday and two days later we play Southampton, so we cannot ignore that game as well.
“So we will see, but real injuries, no, little knocks, yes.”