Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has selected his Premier League team of the season, but has surprisingly omitted Roberto Firmino and Alisson – two of the Reds’ best performers so far this term.
Carragher’s XI, which is based on players’ performances between the start of the season and the beginning of the recently imposed league suspension, does include seven members of Liverpool’s squad, however.
Carragher’s back four consisted solely of Liverpool defenders, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson at full-back and Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez at centre-back.
But there was no Alisson behind them in goal, with Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson getting the nod. Henderson, like Alisson, has earned 10 clean sheets so far this season, and only Burnley’s Nick Pope has more with 11.
Carragher opted for a midfield three of former Liverpool team-mate and current captain Jordan Henderson, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish of struggling Aston Villa.
Carragher suggested that Fabinho could have been picked as he was Jurgen Klopp’s ”best player until December” before getting injured.
The front three comprised two Liverpool players in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who will likely earn the Player of the Year award in Carragher’s opinion, and City’s Sergio Aguero.
“There was a moment when considering this line-up when I thought of leaving out Salah and selecting Raheem Sterling,” Carragher wrote.
“I slept on it and thought: ‘What am I thinking?’
“Nothing against Sterling, but he plays on the left, not right, so I am not prepared to compromise to leave out a player of Salah’s class.”
