Chelsea v Liverpool: Reds likely to favour youth for FA Cup clash at Stamford Bridge

Just three days after their shock 3-0 defeat at Watford, Liverpool have a chance to respond immediately as they head to Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round, but what side will Jurgen Klopp pick?

Few expected the Reds to go down so heavily at Vicarage Road, but it may be the warning shot Jurgen Klopp‘s side need knowing that they are just four wins away from the Premier League title as complacency threatens to kick-in.

But the Liverpool boss is expected to make changes for the trip to Stamford Bridge, rewarding those on the fringes who have been called into cup action so often this season.

Many of those who triumphed in the fourth-round replay win over Shrewsbury could be involved again though Neil Critchley won’t be on the touchline having taken the Blackpool job earlier this week.

Liverpool have Joe Gomez and James Milner available again, but Naby Keita is still sidelined after a hip problem kept him out of the trip to Watford.

Jordan Henderson and Xherdan Shaqiri will miss out through injury while Harvey Elliott is absent having travelled to Benfica on under-19 duty.

Klopp has confirmed Ki-Jana Hoever and Neco Williams are available, however, while the likes of Pedro Chirivella and Curtis Jones should also be involved.

It’s highly likely that the Liverpool line-up will be similar to the victory over Shrewsbury at Anfield last month with Adrian, Joel Matip, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino all in with a shout of an appearance.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard has dropped a strong hint that goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga could return to the Chelsea starting line-up having been dropped for the club’s previous six matches.

The Blues’ boss will be keen to freshen up his team but will be aware that securing a result against the runaway Premier League leaders will keep their faint hopes of silverware this season alive.

His cause isn’t helped by injury list which features Andreas Christensen (knock), N’Golo Kante (adductor), Tammy Abraham (ankle), Christian Pulisic (adductor) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (hamstring).

Michy Batshuayi scored in the win at Hull in the previous round and could well be brought in to give Olivier Giroud a breather, though the French striker will be keen to keep his place in the starting line-up while Abraham’s return to the side has still not been confirmed following a lengthy lay-off with an Achilles tendon injury.

Chelsea and Liverpool have met on 10 previous occasions in the FA Cup with the Blues being victorious in six and Liverpool in four while their most recent encounter was the final in 2012 which the Blues won 2-1.

The last time these two sides met in the fifth round came in 1982, when Peter Rhoades-Brown and Colin Lee scored in a 2-0 victory for the Blues.