Liverpool are set to play host to Newcastle United at Anfield this evening in their first Premier League match of 2024 on New Year's Day.
The Reds are top of the division on goal difference as it stands and have the opportunity to move three points clear with a victory against Eddie Howe's side.
Jurgen Klopp's team are coming into this match off the back of a 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor, with goals from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota securing the win.
The German head coach could be set to receive a big boost with Alexis Mac Allister as he revealed ahead of the game that the Argentina international could be fit to return since suffering an injury against Sheffield United at the start of last month.
Klopp must now ditch Harvey Elliott from the starting XI to bring the World Cup winner into the side as it could allow the Reds to dominate their opponents.
Elliott's season in numbers
The England U21 international, who started against Burnley, has made 16 appearances in the Premier League so far this season for Liverpool.
In that time, he has made 0.6 tackles and interceptions combined and 1.6 ball recoveries per match. The talented young gem has also won 48% of his physical duels.
The 20-year-old, who has contributed with one goal and one assist in the top-flight, has also made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game across six Europa League starts.
Winning duels and defending to dominate a midfield contest is not his natural game, as a technically gifted whiz, and this is why this game could be more suited to Mac Allister, who has the quality to combine quality in possession with robustness off it.
Why Mac Allister could dominate Newcastle
The Argentine machine won the midfield battle against Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joelinton when the two teams met at St. James' Park earlier in the campaign.
Mac Allister won five of his seven ground duels and finished the match with two blocks, four interceptions, and two completed tackles in 77 minutes.
Tonali made two of those defensive actions combined, whilst Joelinton made three, and Guimaraes made five tackles along with zero interceptions and blocks.
This means that the Liverpool midfielder dominated the physical battle in the middle of the park with at least two more defensive actions than any of Newcastle's three number eights.
In the Premier League this season, no Reds player has made more tackles (2.2) per game than Mac Allister and only Virgil van Dijk has made more interceptions (1.4) per match than the Argentine ace (1.2).
These statistics show that the £150k-per-week whiz, who was once described as a "superstar" by Joe Cole, has the defensive quality to dominate the game in the midfield.
Mac Allister, who has produced one goal and one assist in 14 Premier League games, wins possession back at an exceptional rate with his ability to make tackles and interceptions multiple times per game, which was on full display against Newcastle last time out.
Therefore, Klopp must ditch Elliott to unleash the former Brighton star in the midfield to help Liverpool to control the match and win the physical contest against Howe's men.
