Under-fire Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has boldly been selected by Jurgen Klopp to start tonight’s Champions League clash against Rangers despite an ongoing investigation from The FA.
Henderson, 32, was at the heart of an off-the-ball altercation with Arsenal centre-back Gabriel during Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. And The FA are now probing an investigation into the exact details of the heated exchange, which has grabbed the attention of football fans up and down the country.
The verbal dispute was triggered by the awarding of a crucial penalty for the Gunners in the second half, which Bukayo Saka expertly dispatched to restore the home side’s advantage, after Henderson and Gabriel had squared up.
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It has been alleged that Henderson said something to deliberately provoke the Arsenal defender, with Gunners skipper Granit Xhaka forced to step in as an unconventional peacemaker.
Referee Michael Oliver completed a detailed report of the incident, consulting both Klopp and Mikel Arteta, and the incident has now been left to The FA, who released a short statement earlier this week.
It read: “We are aware of an incident that took place during the match between Arsenal and Liverpool. We are in dialogue with the match officials and will review the details of the incident.”
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Starting just one match for Liverpool in the Champions League this term, Henderson has been drafted into the line-up for the crunch clash at Ibrox as Klopp rings the changes from the XI that swept aside Rangers a week ago.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Luis Diaz, Jota, Thiago and Mohamed Salah all started in the 2-0 win at Anfield last Tuesday, but a mixture of enforced changes due to a growing injury list and prioritising the Premier League showdown with champions Manchester City on Sunday is no doubt behind Klopp’s thinking.
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