Adam Lallana

Adam Lallana completed 86 minutes of competitive football in Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Burnley on New Year’s Day. The England international played 42 minutes of Premier League football in the first half of the 2017-18 campaign. With Philippe Coutinho’s future up in the air amid talk of renewed interest from Barcelona, Lallana’s return to full fitness could be perfect timing. The 29-year-old will need to prove his match sharpness in the coming weeks. Liverpool are being linked with a move to sign Thomas Lemar from Monaco to replace Coutinho. But until the end of the season, Lallana could be used in that creative role in midfield behind the front three of Roberto FIrmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Lallana will view the Merseyside derby in the FA Cup third round as a big chance to prove a point to Jurgen Klopp.

Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren

Ragnar Klavan became the first Estonian player to score in the Premier League. Liverpool made Virgil van Dijk in the world’s most expensive defender following his £75m move to Anfield from Manchester City. With a new rival for a first-team spot, Klavan and Dejan Lovren combined to rescue three points at Turf Moor after the Croatian’s header teed up his centre-half partner to bundle the ball over the line. Klavan is tipped to start against Everton in the FA Cup third round and he will be hoping to show Klopp that he sill has a role to play despite Van Dijk’s arrival. Lovren, on the other hand, will be desperate to make amends after his careless defending resulted in a penalty in the derby last month. Lovren’s push on Dominic Calvert-Lewis allowed Wayne Rooney to equalise from the spot in a game that Liverpool had dominated. A clean sheet in the third round would help to erase the memory of Rooney’s leveller in December.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £40m transfer fee looks like loose change compared to Van Dijk’s £75m fee. The England international has been refreshingly honest with the media in recent weeks. Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his second Premier League goal in a Red shirt in a 5-0 win over Swansea on Boxing Day. The summer signing wasn’t happy, though. Oxlade-Chamberlain bemoaned his poor performance despite getting on the score sheet. The 24-year-old impressed in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley last term. Oxlade-Chamberlain has won the competition in three of the past four seasons. The Liverpool signing has the chance to build some confidence and prove a point to some skeptical fans with a strong showing in a competition that has been kind the versatile midfielder.