Shrewsbury manager Sam Ricketts felt he could target Liverpool’s Pedro Chirivella

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Shrewsbury manager Sam Ricketts saw Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella as a potential weak spot ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup 2-2 draw.

According to the Times, Ricketts expected Chirivella to play in a rotated Reds side and felt his lack of pace and inability to move the ball quickly could be exposed.

He said of Chirivella: “He takes too many touches all the time. He’s quite slow so that is someone we can really pinpoint and go for a little bit.

“The full backs like to go so if at any point we can turn the ball over here then there’s massive space in behind. We need that one-v-one.”

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Chirivella was not the worst performer on Sunday; the rustiness of returning players such as Dejan Lovren saw to that.

It’s not an especially promising sign for a young player trying to establish himself in Liverpool’s squad if a League One side feel they can exploit him.

That said, the quality in the Reds side is so high that any small weakness – such as a slight lack of pace or overindulgence on the ball – will be targeted by sides playing the game of their lives and looking for any small advantage.

But with the likes of Curtis Jones, 18, and Harvey Elliot, 16, having a few years on 22-year-old Chirivella and looking more promising already, perhaps the Spaniard has a bit to do to impress Klopp.

The good news is he should get another opportunity in the replay, which Chirivella could well be the most senior player in a changed side.