He is the only warrior in their team, whenever He is with the ball my defenders are always afraid of Him,He is the only Man united player that is giving me sleepless night now’: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp names ONE Man united player that is giving Him sleepless night at the moment ahead of their clash this weekend – Not Rashford.

“He is the sole warrior on their team; my defenders are always afraid of him when he has the ball; and he is the only Manchester United player who is currently causing me sleeplessness.” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp names ONE Manchester United player who is currently causing him distress in advance of their match this weekend. Absent RashfordThursday in Belgium witnessed a disjointed performance from a disjointed Liverpool squad; Jurgen Klopp’s youthful Reds were perpetually at a deficit.They entered their Europa League group stage and were assured of first place, leaving them with nothing to gain against Union SG at Lotto Park in March. In preparation for Sunday’s home match against acrimonious rivals Manchester United, Klopp made nine substitutions and started eight academy graduates while leaving Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alisson Becker at home.At an average age of 22 years and 156 days, this Liverpool starting XI was the youngest in its history to be named for a European match. For some, however, that was insufficient. Particularly perplexed by Ibrahima Konate’s inclusion in the starting lineup, supporters were similarly perplexed by the substitution of Darwin Nunez shortly after the hour mark.

During the festive season, Kopite faces visits from Arsenal and Newcastle United in the Premier League, a voyage to Burnley on Boxing Day, and a League Cup quarterfinal match against West Ham United. His level of anxiety is understandable. Observers still recall Diogo Jota’s three-month absence due to a knee injury in December 2020, when the Portuguese played in a Champions League dead-rubber against FC Midtjylland, which adds to the Reds’ already extensive injury list.Liverpool, thankfully, appeared to have emerged unscathed from this Europa League match. However, Klopp was practically at a loss for what to do in regards to selecting an XI to face Union SG.

A juvenile group is perpetually in need of a pinch of senior experience to support their junior teammates. Failure to do so will compromise the advantages of granting them a spot on the first team football. Constantly, recognized leaders would be necessary.

It was comprehensible that there would be concern regarding Konate, considering the recent season-ending ACL injury suffered by Joel Matip and the Frenchman’s own history of problematic injuries. However, if one were to substitute his name for Joe Gomez, who attended halftime as a premeditated substitute, the argument would remain indistinguishable.

Supported by the option for five substitutions, Klopp frequently employs this strategy in less significant European contests by dividing the 45-minute appearances of his senior stars. It did not come as a surprise that he repeated the feat against Union SG.

In Belgium, in addition to Wataru Endo being substituted for Ryan Gravenberch, Konate was also substituted at halftime. The Japan international experienced a similar outcome on Saturday subsequent to a subpar outing against Crystal Palace.

Nonetheless, this withdrawal was motivated by something entirely different, specifically Sunday’s match against Manchester United and upcoming opponents. Remember that Klopp has already verified that Alexis MacAllister will not be in his squad facing the Red Devils.

Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Union SG hardly registers. Thursday’s triumphant return without any injuries was of the utmost importance; the focus has now immediately shifted to the upcoming weekend.

Was it a risk for the Reds to debut senior players in a meaningless game when they had so many more significant contests to prepare for? Logically, perhaps. However, in contrast to the situation that ensued three years ago when Jota was lost, the decision this time did not prove disastrous.

Moreover, after being substituted at halftime in Belgium, it would be surprising if neither Konate nor Endo were named to the starting lineup on Sunday against Erik ten Hag’s underdogs.

Gakpo is unable to seize possibility.

When Manchester United last visited Anfield, the news that Roberto Firmino would be departing Liverpool at the conclusion of his contract had just been made public. However, with the January acquisition of Cody Gakpo, it appeared that the Reds had secured a permanent replacement for the veteran Brazilian.

In a historic 7-0 victory on that day, the Netherlands international scored twice. In 26 appearances, he finished his first half-season on Merseyside with seven goals and two assists. However, as the 24-year-old approaches his first year of service at Liverpool, his standing in the hierarchy has undergone a significant transformation.

Both Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have scored more goals than the Dutchman thus far this season, suggesting that they are ahead of him in the hierarchy of central strikers for the Reds. Nunez has scored six goals. Gakpo has been restricted to seven starts in the Premier League as a result, although he has recently been named to the starting XI for the Europa League.

Having been selected against Union SG as one of the most senior talents, he was given the chance to alter that narrative. However, despite finishing the entire 90 minutes, he presented himself in an almost anonymous manner.

Throughout the majority of the contest, Liverpool managed just one shot on target, which was scored by Jarell Quansah. After having his only shot of the game thwarted in the final minute of stoppage time, Gakpo refrained from threatening the Union goal.

The forward had a forgettable evening with no successful dribbles completed, no shots on target, and was dispossessed twice. There were also no successful critical passes or shots taken. Certainly, a drastically altered squad and a revamped attack would not have aided his cause.

Indeed, he was not the sole senior icon to encounter difficulties. While Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones may have influenced Liverpool’s victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, they were unable to capitalize on such cameo appearances in Belgium. Against United, only Mac Allister’s injury and Gravenberch’s continued ineffectiveness leave a midfield position in play.

However, Gakpo’s performance thus far has failed to establish his case for a starting position on Sunday.

In, Quansah quids.

Against Union SG, Jarell Quansah was one of only two players to maintain his starting position. Additionally, the 20-year-old is one of the reasons why Klopp has been so publicly dismissive of the possibility that he will need to acquire Matip’s replacement in January.

Nevertheless, whenever the England Under-21s international dons a Liverpool uniform, he never disappoints. During an uncharacteristically challenging outing for the Reds, he performed the best among his teammates.

Even though it was a night to forget for Klopp’s squad, Quansah still had a memorable one, despite the loss. He scored the goal for Liverpool, bringing down a venomous cross before halftime to salvage a fleeting equalizer for the Reds. It was a shot that even an inexperienced central defender would have been pleased with, much less a seasoned striker.

After suffering a spiteful VAR denial away at Toulouse, the 20-year-old is currently off target. Furthermore, his goal was a watershed moment for his manager, as it marked the 2,000th goal that Klopp’s squads had tallied during his managerial tenure.

However, his all-around performance is what continues to set the central defender apart; his offensive prowess is not evaluated. He completed 95 out of 100 passes attempted, more than any other player on the field. He distinguished himself from his teammates with diagonal balls and brief passes forward, which effectively dispersed the play.

Once more than any other player, he triumphed in three defensive aerial battles and completed all four of his tackle attempts. During a hectic evening, he would enhance his remarkable defensive performance with three clearances and one interception.

Even if Klopp has no intention of acquiring a new central defender in January, Quansah’s improvement this season mitigates the impact.