Liverpool Return to Europe: 5 Youth Players in Dalglish's First Europa Squad

Kenny Dalglish will take charge of his first European game as Liverpool FC manager tomorrow night in the Czech Republic as the Reds take on Sparta Prague in the Europa League.

Dalglish and his players flew today out of Liverpool, and after naming his squad, five youngsters from the reserves and academy teams are included in the large travelling party, as is £35 million man Andy Carroll, though the former Newcastle forward will take no part in the game as he continues to recover from injury.

Captain Steven Gerrard and centre-back Daniel Agger stay at home on Merseyside as they continue to recover from knocks sustained in the past week or two, though Raul Meireles has recovered from the bug which saw him substituted against Wigan Athletic at the weekend.

Joe Cole returns to the squad while Christian Poulsen misses out, as his wife has gone into labour. Youngsters Conor Coady, Raheem Sterling, Tom Ince, Jack Robinson and John Flanagan also make the trip as Dalglish names 23 players in total for the game squad.

Full list:

(GK) Reina, Jones, Gulacsi, (D) Johnson, Flanagan, Aurelio, Robinson, Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Carragher, Kelly, Skrtel, (M) Meireles, Cole, Maxi, Jovanovic, Lucas, Coady, Ince, Sterling, (F) Pacheco, Kuyt, Ngog (travelled, but not playing: Carroll).

From this list, we can see that David Ngog is almost certain to start a game for the first time since Roy Hodgson’s final game as Liverpool boss, against Blackburn Rovers. Luis Suarez is cup-tied and is not in Liverpool’s Europa League squad.

Dalglish is not likely to tinker hugely with his side, though players such as Jovanovic and Joe Cole, who have not figured a lot over the past month or so, could gain some valuable playing time while Spanish starlet Dani Pacheco could also play at some point.

Liverpool do not have a Premiership game this weekend, meaning a full week between back-to-back games against Thursday’s opponents. This leaves ample time for recovery if ‘King’ Kenny wishes to select a full strength eleven for the first leg, in the hope of building up a good lead for the second leg at Anfield.

With Meireles and Lucas the only recognised central midfielders in the party—though Aurelio has performed there of late—Conor Coady will be hopeful of taking his place on the substitutes bench.

While 16-year-old Sterling grabbed the headlines for his midweek five goal haul in the Youth Cup, he may have to wait for his chance to figure for the first team; Coady has been a consistent and stand-out performer for both Liverpool and England sides over the past year and both Flanagan and Robinson have been included in first-team squads this season already.

Tom Ince impressed hugely in a loan spell with Notts County earlier this season and may also push for a place on the bench.

With so many players having travelled, it is difficult to predict a side, but bearing in mind that I don’t think Kenny will take out too many first-teamers for this first leg, I will go with the following lineup:

(4:4:1:1) Reina; Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Johnson; Kuyt, Lucas, Aurelio, Cole; Meireles; Ngog.

Subs: Gulacsi, Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Coady, Jovanovic, Maxi, Pacheco.

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