Luis Diaz has just fast-tracked Sadio Mane plan at Liverpool

For several years, most elements of the Liverpool team largely picked themselves.

Before the majority of matches the composition of the midfield was the only serious question mark.

You knew the goalkeeper, at least three quarters of the defence and the front three was not in the least bit uncertain.

If it was a league or European match and all three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were available, then they would usually be in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI.

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For instance, Liverpool played 53 matches in all competitions in 2018/19 and that trio lined up at the start of 38 of them.

But time moves on. Firmino has missed much of the current campaign through injury while Mane and Salah both spent time on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

With Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz having joined in the last 18 months too, the net result is that the Reds’ much fabled front three have started just four matches together in 2021/22.

There are clearly worse problems with which