It’s time for Xande Silva

I want to see Xande Silva on the pitch tonight at some stage.

Okay, I know it’s Liverpool and I know he has only one FA Cup appearance against Birmingham, since when he has been injured.

But we are told it was a “soft tissue injury” and he is now fit so why not?

With Marko Arnaurovic likely to be missing, the choice of strikers really doesn’t look great with Andy Carroll, Chicharito and Lucas Perez as ineffective so far as any strikers we have had at the club.

It’s been refreshing to see the manager’s attitude towards the youngsters and neither Declan Rice of course or Grady Diangana have betrayed his faith in them.

So why not Silva tonight in a game from which not many are expecting too much? The lad’s performance against Blues really impressed me. He is balanced, has good running off the ball and plenty of control when it’s at his feet.

Beyond that he has scored plenty of goals at under 23 levels and has a good head on his shoulders which would avoid him becoming overwhelmed by the job at hand.

It’s becoming clearer and clearer perhaps from the body language of such as Carroll and Chicharito that maybe they see their futures elsewhere.

Had they offered anything at all over recent games it could be a slightly different scenario but AC has failed to find the net at PL level since he returned and Chicharito has failed in the last five.

I don’t believe for a second the boy will let himself or the team down whenever he appears and I’d sooner see a youngsters giving his all than rely on a couple of guys whose future is behind them!