Liverpool in Europe: Chance for Fringe Players To Shine or Keep a Winning Team?

Roy Hodgson's Liverpool have done their best to turn around their season of late with two victories in successive games against Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers.

With the same 11 players having started in both matches, the under-fire Reds boss could be forgiven for shunning some of the back up players at his disposal in order to keep as much momentum going as possible, as a three-match winning streak would go some distance to silencing his critics ahead of next weekend's crunch Premiership clash against Chelsea.

Until now, Hodgson has rotated his squad in the Europa League competition with such fringe players as Fabio Aurelio, Ryan Babel and Danny Wilson all named in matchday squads alongside Academy graduates Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing and Dani Pacheco.

With the big game against Chelsea looming on the horizon, Hodgson needs to strike a balancing act between keeping his key players fresh and maintaining the squad's fragile confidence which has been somewhat restored following the back-to-back league victories.

In the recent reverse fixture, Napoli and Liverpool ground out a 0-0 draw which marked the beginning of Liverpool's current three-match unbeaten run, and the Reds should feel confident about going one better on home soil.

While a week's rest between league fixtures could prove of enormous benefit to the likes of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, who have already featured in many games this season, can the same be said of the likes of Fernando Torres who is still struggling a little for his usual deft touch?

Perhaps an intensive period of matches would suit the Spanish forward who, while certainly contributing enormously to recent results, is still looking some way short of the confident forward of old, and of course the best way to regain one's touch is simply to play more.

I don't think Torres' form is poor—far from it. He has scored twice and provided half a dozen assists this season so far; simply put I think he is just lacking the edge which marks him out from the rest most of the time. An extra game or two could be just what he needs.

Hodgson has some big calls to make, not just for Thursday night's game against Napoli but also for the Chelsea match. Dirk Kuyt and Joe Cole are facing races to be fit in time, while Glen Johnson could well make his return against the Italians and so would be in the frame for a starting berth against the league leaders. If he starts, who makes way?

Carragher has played fairly well at full back but we all know he is far better as a centre back; Kyrgiakos has been dominant aerially at both ends of the pitch and kept Kevin Davies remarkably quiet at the weekend—when the "old-fashioned English hard-man forward" wasn't throwing himself to the floor like bomb-smothering war hero that is—while Martin Skrtel's recent resurgence and blooming partnership with 'the Greek' means that all three have a case for inclusion.

For what it's worth, I would like to see a bit of a mix. Certainly the likes of Reina, Meireles and Kyrgiakos would add experience and quality, while youngsters Spearing and Kelly deserve another chance after impressing previously. Johnson will almost certainly make his return from injury, while no recent update has been forthcoming from the club over Fabio Aurelio's progress from his Achilles injury.

Reds fans have also been crying out for Dani Pacheco to be given a game—after a flurry of early substitute appearances this season the Spanish starlet's chances have diminished somewhat, not making the bench in recent times and only being given one sub appearance in the league this season.

David Ngog is likely to start up front, with or without Fernando Torres, and will again look to add to his tally of seven goals this season which makes him Liverpool's top marksman. Ngog has been unlucky not to start more in the league perhaps, given his early season form, but all he can do at present is use games like this one to show that he is capable of delivering on a regular basis.

Whatever the starting 11 on Thursday night, it is up to each of the players to show they are capable of aiding Liverpool's cause in continuing the climb up the Premiership table.

Preferred starting team: Reina, Johnson-Kelly-Kyrgiakos-Konchesky, Spearing-Meireles, Shelvey-Pacheco-Jovanovic, Torres. Jones/Hansen, Skrtel, Wilson, Lucas, Babel, Ngog, Maxi.

Probable starting team: Reina, Johnson-Skrtel-Kyrgiakos-Konchesky, Spearing-Poulsen, Maxi-Babel-Jovanovic, Ngog. Jones/Hansen, Wilson, Kelly, Lucas, Shelvey, Pacheco, Eccleston.