Phil Thompson names his Liverpool centre-back pairing for Chelsea tie

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Phil Thompson has told Sky Sports that he would pick Dejan Lovren at centre-back for Liverpool’s FA Cup tie with Chelsea on Tuesday, while he also predicted Joel Matip will play alongside him at Stamford Bridge.

The Reds go into their fifth round tie looking to bounce back from a Premier League defeat for the first time this season.

A number of players will be disappointed with their displays in the 3-0 loss to Watford. And Lovren was one of those who seemed to come in for plenty of criticism.

Liverpool fans were delighted with the news that Joe Gomez is back available after missing the trip to Vicarage Road.

But Thompson suggested that giving Lovren more minutes is important, and thus, he would keep the Croatian in the team for Tuesday, and bring Matip in alongside him.

“I said some weeks ago that some of the fringe players needed games, as you may need them as the season progresses,” he told Sky Sports. “You could see that in Dejan Lovren’s performance at Watford. He looked very rusty and you could see he needed games to get up to speed.

“When you have been out of the team for a long time or injured, you are rusty and you need games. The Chelsea game is ideal. I think it will be a mixture of those players who were on the bench against Watford – I think Lovren should play and Joel Matip will come in.”

TBR View – FA Cup should now be slightly more important for Liverpool

Of course, the league and Champions League will surely remain the biggest priorities for Liverpool. But with the unbeaten run now gone, the Reds can afford to put a little more emphasis on the FA Cup.

The title should still be theirs at a canter. And it would be fitting if they can secure another piece of silverware in the final moments of the season – with the league crown likely to be secured in the coming weeks.

Thus, Klopp may be more tempted to name a strong lineup in the FA Cup. But as Thompson notes, it is important to give the likes of Lovren and Matip minutes in case they are needed at another time.

Playing Lovren and Matip is hardly a bad position to be in. Both men have had brilliant spells of form during their time at Anfield.

Their partnership may not be on the same level as Gomez and Virgil van Dijk. But they still have the quality to contribute this season.