Liverpool vs. Bolton Wanderers: Tactical Preview of FA Cup Game

Liverpool host Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, and Anfield will welcome back a former hero in the form of striker Emile Heskey. Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon will duel for the first time in their careers, as both try to extend a strong recent run of form.

Predicted Setups

Liverpool have absolutely no reason to move away from the 3-4-2-1 formation that's serving them so well, avoiding defeat since December 14, 2014 (3-0 away to Manchester United).

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Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and Emre Can should continue in a back three, though Dejan Lovren could be given a chance to make amends for his poor showings if he can recover for the game.

Fabio Borini should be restored up top, while Steven Gerrard, whose fitness continues to be managed carefully, will likely duck out following his start against Chelsea.

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Neil Lennon has been toying with this Bolton Wanderers team since his inception as manager, so it's tough to predict what XI will be rolled out. Dorian Dervite, Matt Mills, Tim Ream, David Wheater, Emile Heskey, Neil Danns and Liam Feeney all look good to start.

The Trotters have switched between a 4-2-3-1 and a diamond-esque shape of late, with perhaps the latter being used once again on Saturday. 

Who Should Liverpool Rest?

In just over a month, Liverpool have played 10 games. Brendan Rodgers has avoided making seismic changes to the squad due to the rich vein of form they (finally) hit, so some players are, undoubtedly, in need of a break.

While the "magic of the FA Cup" knows no bounds (hint: that's only what the sponsors say!), there are several Reds who could duck out here and recover ahead of a gruelling Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge three days later.

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Gerrard will undoubtedly drop, while Lucas Leiva, Lazar Markovic, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Alberto Moreno could all come out too. The Reds' squad is deep, so as long as the incoming rotational options perform, there should not be a significant drop-off.

Jose Enrique, Javi Manquillo and Adam Lallana are all in a position to step up their fitness.

The Importance of Emre Can

One player who should not drop from the XI is Can, who despite giving away a naive penalty against Chelsea on Wednesday, has helped transform the fortunes of this team thanks to some fantastic showings.

He wasn't signed to play at centre-back but he's found a home there, and it's not just his surprisingly strong aerial presence that's impressed, but his surging ability, too.

The German plays outside centre-back, split between the positions a regular right-sided centre-back and a traditional right-back would play. With opposing teams playing one striker more often than not, the space is ahead of Can to gallop into and start causing havoc.

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Bayer Leverkusen played him as a left-back and a box-to-box midfielder, while he learnt his trade at Bayern Munich as a classic holder. He's compiling all of the skills, combining their strengths, and making a clear, definable impact on the pitch for Rodgers.

Lucas and Jordan Henderson—the pair who have settled in defensive midfield in the 3-4-2-1—lack penetrative ability either passing or running at this moment. Until Henderson's confidence is fully restored, Can breaking between the lines is a valuable weapon.

Liverpool must strive to move the ball vertically and into the feet of the dual No. 10s they use. If there's no bravery and no willingness, there won't be any goals.

Can, emerging as a carrier and a penetrator, is a key player already.

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