LIVERPOOL -- Jurgen Klopp has said that changes to Liverpool's starting XI for Sunday's FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle can be expected, with Joe Gomez and goalkeeper Loris Karius in line to start at Anfield.
The Reds boss said he will utilise "fresh legs" for the third-round encounter after his side completed a busy festive period, with Liverpool recently playing three matches within the space of seven days
Klopp hinted that Gomez, 19, is set to make his first appearance for Liverpool since October 2015 in the tie with the League Two outfit, having overcome a 13-month injury layoff.
"He's in a good shape," Klopp told a news conference on Friday morning. "Maybe [it will be] his first game at Anfield in a long time.
"Maybe it would not be the biggest surprise if he would be in the lineup if nothing happens. [It will be] the next step in a long way to go. He had a long way. Everything is good.
"That's what we said when we spoke about how we don't really have the idea to give him on loan to some other club.
"It would be the next step and nice for all of us. He's a wonderful boy and we are really happy for him that he is fit now.
"Of course, he had a few games with the second team [Liverpool's under-23s] and he is very self-critical because he was not always at his absolute best.
"But that's always normal after a long period of injury and not playing a lot of football. He's on a good in training -- looks really good. It's the logical next step."
Meanwhile, Karius could make a return to the Liverpool side for the first time since he lost his place to Simon Mignolet back in early December.
The summer signing from Bundesliga side Mainz was displaced as the Reds' starting shot-stopper following a number of high-profile errors as the team dropped points against Bournemouth and West Ham United.
When asked if there was a chance he will rotate his goalkeeper on Sunday, Klopp replied: "A big chance.
"He trained outstandingly good, [that] was good to see. It's difficult to speak about things like this in public because you [the media] make all of these things big stories. That's a little bit of the problem.
"How we said before, we cannot ignore the pressure you make. That's how it is. We have to cope with it, we have to deal with it. That's why I said we make the change.
"Loris will benefit from this step back or step aside. Simon does a really, really outstanding job for us since he is playing again. Loris has forced him to train at the highest level because we have two really good goalkeepers. It was good for him."
With a League Cup semifinal and a clash with Manchester United on the horizon, Sunday's game against lower-league opposition presents Klopp with the opportunity to give some of his squad members on the fringes and younger players a much-needed run out.
"It makes absolute sense [to rotate]," Klopp added. "Of course, it's then not about the last game it's about maybe the next game in this case.
"I'm pretty sure we will a few fresh legs on the pitch, I would say. Look at our squad, pretty much all of them that not that much involved in the last few games are pretty young. When we want to rotate it's logical."