5 Manchester City backup players who would walk into Liverpool's starting XI

#4 Ilkay Gundogan

Everton FC v Manchester City - Premier League

Jurgen Klopp is clearly a huge fan of German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan due to the pair’s impressive time together at Borussia Dortmund. Nowadays, of course, Klopp is managing Liverpool, whilst his former star midfield man is a part of Manchester City’s all-conquering squad.

Unfortunately for Gundogan, his time at the Etihad was initially hampered by injury woes, and he is now behind several others in the pecking order should City have a fully fit squad.

The German international has managed to amass a solid number of starts during this current 2018/19 campaign, although that is largely down to the early season absence of Kevin De Bruyne through injury.

With De Bruyne now back in the fold, the starting City midfield would see Gundogan benched in favour of the Belgian star, David Silva and Fernandinho. And even then, there’s also the prospect of Bernado Silva being another alternative in central midfield should Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane or Riyad Mahrez be deployed on the flanks.

If you look at the Liverpool starting XI, though, you’d have to fancy Gundogan as being more than capable of stepping straight into that midfield. For all the intelligence of Gini Wijnaldum and the sheer graft of James Milner and Jordan Henderson, Gundogan could provide more of an attacking, linking-up threat for the Reds.