Predicted Liverpool XI v West Brom: 19-year-old replaces £120k-a-week ace, £37m star returns

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Liverpool will hope to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points today.

Jurgen Klopp’s charges host West Brom at Anfield in a 4:30pm kick-off, on the back of a 7-0 win away at Crystal Palace followed by a week-long break.

The Baggies are currently 19th in the table but, in Sam Allardyce, boast the last manager who left Anfield with all three points in the league, his Palace side running out 3-0 winners in April 2017.

So, who could Klopp name in his starting XI for the match against the Baggies in search of a five-point gap between the Reds and second-placed Merseyside rivals Everton?

In terms of fitness news, three players have resumed first-team training – Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri – but the West Brom game has probably come too soon for them.

The Liverpool back line is likely to remain the same as it was against Palace – Alisson Becker in goal and a back four of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Fabinho and Andrew Robertson.

In midfield, Klopp could opt to rest one of his players from the Eagles win, with an eye on next Wednesday’s trip to Newcastle.

We feel Naby Keita will drop to the bench, with Curtis Jones taking the £120,000-a-week man’s place on the right-hand side of the three-man midfield.

The 19-year-old would be joined by Jordan Henderson in the centre and Georginio Wijnaldum on the left-hand side.

And up front, we predict that Mohamed Salah will return to the XI after coming off the bench last week.

The £37million star would be on the right-hand side, with Roberto Firmino in the middle and Sadio Mane switching back to the left.

Predicted Liverpool XI v West Brom (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson; Jones, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane