Klopp can use Firmino in surprise role for Liverpool to beat Manchester United

Players have been dropping like flies at Anfield in recent weeks. From one star player to another, Jürgen Klopp's squad continues to diminish and grow scarcer in terms of options.

But on Thursday afternoon, Liverpool fans were delighted to a rare piece of positive news with the return of Roberto Firmino, who is back training with the first team ahead of what promises to be a mouth-watering clash against Manchester United on Monday night.

Given Darwin Núñez's suspension, Firmino's return to the side is a huge boost for the team and certainly helps Klopp in terms of having more depth in attack.

However, while there is a temptation to start the Brazilian and slot him straight into the side in Núñez's absence, Klopp could make a bold call instead and only use Firmino off the bench, and instead deploying a front three of Mohamed Salah, Fábio Carvalho and Luis Díaz at Old Trafford against a United side who are in woeful form.

Firmino started Liverpool's opening fixture in the league against Fulham but he produced a tame performance and struggled to get into the game at times, looking a shadow of himself from his heyday. That was the case against Manchester City in the Community Shield as well.

The last time Firmino scored when he started in the Premier League was back in October of last season, and throughout that campaign, the Brazilian made a habit of making goal contributions off the bench rather than from the starting XI.

Excluding his hat-trick and assist against Watford back in October, last season from the remaining 12 goal contributions Firmino made, eight came while coming off the bench during the latter stages of the game and taking it by the scruff of the neck.

With those numbers, the 30-year-old has become a bit of a super-sub under Jürgen Klopp, and given the fact that he has returned with just days to go until the Manchester United game, perhaps the Liverpool boss should keep his newly returned toy on the side-lines for just the beginning of the match.

Even if things go awry without Firmino, he has shown in the past year that he can make an impact when he comes off the bench and turn the tide in Liverpool's favour, including his goal against Arsenal in the league or those against Porto, as well as his decisive assist against Wolves.

A front three of Carvalho, Salah and Díaz should be more than capable of dismantling a poor defensive side in Manchester United. It would spring a surprise that Ten Hag would not be expecting, and the fact that Klopp would have Firmino on the bench as well is an added bonus.