The 2022 Qatar World Cup has nearly arrived, with national teams being tasked with announcing their provisional squads for the tournament over the next week or so.
Here are which Liverpool players we believe should be heading off to the World Cup:
Goalkeepers- Alisson Becker
Brazilian keeper, Alisson Becker, should undoubtedly be on the plane to Qatar with the shot-stopper in phenomenal form as of late. The Liverpool man will fight against rival Manchester City keeper, Ederson, for a spot in the starting line-up.
Defence- Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Virgil Van Dijk will certainly be off to Qatar, looking to captain the Netherlands to a potential World Cup win. After a poor start to the season, Van Dijk looks to have improved and stopped his run of below-par games. Andy Robertson will also most likely captain Scotland, mainly with the aim of helping his country get out of the group stage. Trent Alexander-Arnold probably finds himself fortunate following the recent injuries to Reece James and Kyle Walker but should be included in Gareth Southgate’s squad. French defender, Ibrahima Konate, might feel unfortunate to not be on the list but with his recent injury issues it’s hard to see Didier Deschamps risk it. However, with Raphael Varane’s recent injury against Chelsea, there could be a spot up for grabs.
Midfield- Fabinho, Thiago, Jordan Henderson
Fabinho has also improved his performances in recent weeks after a terrible start to the season. Despite his poor start, there is no doubt that the Brazilian is still one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and will fight with the likes of Casemiro for a place in the starting XI. Thiago Alcantara was surprisingly left out of Spain’s most recent squad, as Spain boss Luis Enrique looked to favour younger talents such as Gavi and Pedri. Jordan Henderson is perhaps the most debatable amongst this list, as his form hasn’t been great. However, the leadership skills could be vital in the dressing room and we know how much Gareth Southgate values that amongst his England camp.
Forwards- Roberto Firmino, Darwin Nunez
As Liverpool fans, we all know how good Roberto Firmino is and has been so far this season. Brazil could have a lethal duo up front with Gabriel Jesus and Firmino up top with Neymar floating around them. However, due to the ridiculous amount of talent at Brazil’s disposal, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Firmino left out despite his amazing form this season. Darwin Nunez should be a definite in the Uruguay squad along with the likes of Luis Suarez. I would love to see Nunez prove all of his critics wrong in the World Cup and come back full of confidence. Forwards, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz will both miss the tournament due to injury while Mohamed Salah and Egypt didn’t make it to the World Cup following defeat to Senegal in the qualifiers.