Your team v Watford

[Nineteenx]

What bad luck, who’d have seen that coming just as we enter the final stages of a very packed season.

Naby's rated at 50% for Saturday according to Prem injury table, so maybe just a tweak

[justme]

Hes not trained for a while. since the fa-cup game i believe. so its not that great is it? Knee injury apparently

[redebreck]

Looks like we will be one short in midfield.. ie Keita injured. gawd knows how long

Oh dear, what a surprise.

[reddownunder]

It's tough to predict the XI for this one at home to a team in the relegation zone with player's minutes to manage due to fatigue and injuries and the congested calendar ahead...

Alisson
Gomez Matip Van Dijk Robertson
Henderson Fabinho Thiago
Salah Firmino Jota

[Insidious]

Looks like we will be one short in midfield.. ie Keita injured. gawd knows how long

Whilst it's not ideal, I'd have snatched your hand off to be in the position we are now. League Cup won, in the FA Cup, in the Champion's League, one point off top.

Salah - fit
Mane - fit
Firmino - fit
Jota - fit
Diaz - fit
Minamino - fit
Origi - fit
Henderson - fit
Fabinho - fit
Thiago - fit
Milner - fit
Jones - fit
Elliott - fit
Ox - fit
Van Dijk - fit
Matip - fit
Konate - fit
Gomez - fit
Robertson - fit
Tsimikas - fit
Alisson - fit
Kelleher - fit
Adrian - fit

Missing Keita and Trent isn't perfect of course, but my God, the list of available players ain't at all bad, so hopefully we can rotate sensibly (Matip and Konate especially) to keep as many available as possible.

23-out-of-25 should be enough until the other lads get back.

[justme]

We lose another midfielder ie Henderson or Fabinho for 4/6 weeks, we are fked..Thiago aint good enough and Ox/Jones are not centre midfielders. Other than that we are fine.

[Insidious]

We lose another midfielder ie Henderson or Fabinho for 4/6 weeks, we are fked..

They're certainly 2 of our most important just now.

Well-timed substitutions (some of which will carry an element of risk) and rotation will be vital going forward. April is where it's trickiest.

Sat 2nd Apr - Watford Home
Tue 5th Apr - Benfica Away
Sun 10th Apr - Man City Away
Wed 13th Apr - Benfica Home
Sat 16th Apr - Man City Neutral
Tue 19th April - Man United Home
Sun 24th Apr - Everton Home
Wed 27 Apr - Bayern/Villareal if we qualify
Sat 30th Apr - Newcastle Away

4 of those matches (Man City x 2, Man United, Everton) the opposition will be playing at Derby/Cup Final levels of intensity. Benfica represents our best chance to possibly take calculated risks (plus make use of the 5 subs rule) to ensure key players don't have to play the last 20 minutes multiple times in a row in huge games.

It's a mad April, absolutely mad. Has the potential to be an incredible month. So proud of the run we have managed to put together to bring Man City within touching distance, whatever happens going forward.

[Nineteenx]

Best available line up v Watford with Keita missing and Trent only just back, shame as I really wanted to see the Thiago Henderson Keita midfield against a more defensive side

Alisson

Gomez Matip Van Dijk Robertson

Henderson Fabinho Thiago

Salah Jota Diaz

I absolutely expect our lads to administer a thorough, hard, deep penetrating bumming, get the win and another absolutely vital 3 points

[justme]

yet another important game.cant afford any slip ups at all now. Watford wil defend very deep. so a quick start is needed to keep them on their toes.

[miller0863]

Swarm all over them, get 3-0 up, chill out and keep the ball and the clean sheet.