Final Double Gameweek 24 audition for Liverpool as injured Rashford misses out

Marcus Rashford (£9.1m) won’t feature in the final match of Gameweek 23 after failing to recover from a back injury ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Anfield.

Indeed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has suggested the England striker won’t play for the Red Devils this side of the February winter break:

He got a couple of knocks and jolts when he came on against Wolverhampton and has aggravated his back, he’s had some trouble before.

I wouldn’t expect him to be back in the next few weeks, we’ve got a mid-season break coming up. I’m not sure we’re going to see him before then, no.

In his absence, the United boss has signalled his intentions for this fixture by drafting in Luke Shaw (£5.4m) rather than a like-for-like replacement.

Whether that means the visitors will be going with a wing-back system (with Shaw playing at centre-half) or with one of their two left-backs – Brandon Williams (£4.1m) also starts – playing on the left of midfield in a 4-2-3-1 remains to be seen.

Daniel James (£6.0m) also returns to the starting XI, with Juan Mata (£6.2m) making way.

Anthony Martial (£7.9m) leads the line as usual, while Eric Bailly (£4.9m) is among the substitutes.

Liverpool are unchanged from Gameweek 22, although the fit-again Joel Matip (£5.2m) and Fabinho (£5.4m) are on the bench.

This is, of course, Liverpool’s final match before Double Gameweek 24.

Five of the Reds’ starting XI are already owned by at least 20% of Fantasy Premier League managers and those ownership figures will surely rise going into next Tuesday’s deadline.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are on a run of six straight clean sheets and have scored at least two goals in 17 of their 21 Premier League fixtures.

Manchester United, however, are the only club to have taken points off Liverpool this season.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mané, Firmino.

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Williams, Pereira, Fred, Matic, James, Martial.