Klopp always has a trio of strikers in hand, likened to the three points of a sharp triangle. The Mane - Salah pair on both sides are always persistent and sharp attackers, strong enough to penetrate for a long time. Meanwhile, the top spot is a problem for the German coach, but luckily, the problem here is understood as a "comfortable headache".
Jota has been injured after Liverpool beat Inter in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. However, the Portuguese striker's ankle injury was not as serious as expected. He has responded very well to treatment regimens in Italy and is racing against time to reach the League Cup final.
This season, Jota played great and took Firmino's starting position, not in the same half-time position as last season. Jota's playing style is completely independent of Mane and Salah, so it is very difficult to fall into a situation where he steps on the feet of two teammates. This striker even has some skills in the form of tricks, completely different from the rest.
Whether Jota plays on Sunday depends entirely on the two training sessions on Friday and Saturday afternoons (local time). If Jota wins time, Klopp will attach him to the spearhead position of the three- key stick.
In case Jota does not recover in time, Klopp has an offside card, very new and very good Diaz. The Colombian striker showed a surprisingly quick integration into the Kop's formation, as if he had played for a long time under Klopp at his new team.
In the recent win over Inter and the crushing defeat to Norwich and Leeds, Diaz, despite only having 1 goal, played very smoothly in coordination with his teammates. In particular, the 25-year-old striker has made moves to keep the rhythm and release very well so that the strikers inside the penalty area of The Kop can freely choose the option. If necessary, Diaz himself could finish.
Klopp was right to bring him to Anfield because the way he plays as a supplements to the Mane - Salah wings is very suitable. Diaz himself also knew he was a rookie and had not yet reached the level of the two morning stars, so he happily played the role of a trampoline.
In some cases, Diaz can play both as a striker and a winger. If he is not good with the center forward, Diaz can play the role of a runner-up on the touchline and Klopp will push Mane into the middle. The 6-0 win over Leeds showed that Klopp's three nails were not only sharp but also very diverse.
Firmino will hardly feature for the newly suffered muscle injury, but this will not be a problem for Klopp to have a headache. He has many options to defeat Chelsea this Sunday.
The League Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool will take place at 11:30 p.m. on February 27 (Vietnam time), live on VTV Cab system.
