Ironically, Ronaldo being out and being forced to play Rashford up front could be a blessing in disguise.
Yes I know Rashford is in horrific form, but one thing that is absolutely certain in this game is that Liverpool will play with a very high line which they do in every single game, even against Man City.
There is no game this season where Rashford would play against a higher line than this one. Even when you are in terrible form, it just takes one through ball to beat the offside trap and a player with pace can end up with a straight forward chance. Rashford has really struggled against deep lying teams. He won’t have that problem in this game. I know it’s wishful but I honestly think Rashford would possibly pose more of a threat than Ronaldo in this specific game. With Sancho and Elanga on the wings, it really could give us some hope on the counter. It’s one of the reasons Dan James, Rashford and Martial used to have success in games against Liverpool and City. Players with pace just love to have lots of space to run into.
Most important area of the team will be central midfield where we are likely to play Matic and Pogba. That is a very big concern.