The Keita dilemma, Wijnaldum's future and the burning questions Liverpool must answer as Premier League restarts

They're back!

After 15 weeks, Liverpool return to Premier League action on Sunday as they make the short trip across Stanley Park to face neighbours Everton in the Merseyside derby. 

Victory at Goodison Park will take the Reds to the brink of their first league title since 1990, and they should achieve the feat in record-breaking time and, perhaps, with a record-breaking points tally too.

However, Jurgen Klopp has some big questions to answer between now and the end of the campaign...

Has Keita's time finally arrived?

It feels like Liverpool fans have been waiting to see the 'real' Naby Keita for an awful long time now.

Signed in 2017 – though he would not arrive at Anfield until the following summer – the former RB Leipzig star was supposed to be the man who transformed Klopp's team, bringing dynamism and bite, goals and assists to a midfield which has often been accused, unfairly, of being one-dimensional. 

So far, though, the Guinea international’s impact has been more fleeting than phenomenal. The 25-year-old tends to perform well when fit, but staying fit has been an issue. Keita has appeared in just 51 of Liverpool’s 101 games since his £52 million ($65m) signing, and has played in only nine of their 29 league matches so far this season.

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His promise is there for all to see, mind. He scored in an inter-squad practice game at Anfield, and followed that up with an eye-catching display in a comfortable friendly win against Championship side Blackburn last week.

“We all know how much ability he’s got,” says vice-captain James Milner. “He’s had little niggles here and there which have been unlucky, but hopefully he can finish the season as strongly as he’s performed in training.”

If he does, then expect supporters to start getting really excited. Liverpool are the world’s best club side without him; imagine what they can do with him in peak physical condition.

Will Wijnaldum's future be resolved?

The situation of another Reds midfielder remains an ongoing concern for supporters.

Gini Wijnaldum has established himself as a firm favourite since joining in 2016, his ability to carry out a number of midfield roles proving integral to Klopp's team establishing themselves among Europe's elite.

The Dutchman, though, is about to enter the final year of his current contract. While the majority of Klopp's key men are tied down to lucrative, long-term deals, the 29-year-old's future remains, for now, clouded in uncertainty.

Privately, club sources expect a resolution to be found, with talks set to be re-opened in the coming weeks.

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There are no concerns as to Wijnaldum's professionalism. He is already a member of the club's leadership group, an influential figure in the dressing room, and he is likely to remain a key figure in Klopp's team. 

Don't be surprised to see him pen a new deal at some point between now and August, too.

How will Fortress Anfield cope without fans?

Liverpool's home league record has been nothing short of remarkable. It is more than three years since they were beaten at Anfield in a league game – it was Crystal Palace, their next visitors, who last won there back in April 2017 – but now they face a new type of challenge: home games without home support. 

Klopp has insisted that his players will play for their fans, regardless of whether they are inside the stadium or not, but it will be interesting to see just how big an effect behind-closed-doors games have on a side that has long benefited from the Anfield factor.

The first few weeks after the Bundesliga's resumption have seen a relatively high proportion of away victories – albeit from a very small sample size – and while there are plenty of players who would claim to feed off the energy and atmosphere from crowds, there are others who may find themselves liberated, able to play with more freedom and confidence without the noise and the boos and the jeers to distract them. 

Liverpool have already played a couple of practice matches at an empty Anfield, and it would be a surprise if, given the consistency of the last two-and-a-half seasons, standards were allowed to slip. That home record is a huge source of pride, so expect them to do everything to preserve it.

Will Salah grab his golden hat-trick?

Try telling Mohamed Salah the last few weeks of the season are meaningless. 

The Egyptian has the chance to write yet another piece of Liverpool history, by becoming the first Reds player to win three consecutive Premier League Golden Boot awards – and only the fourth player to do so in English top-flight history. 

Jimmy Greaves, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry are the other three, and Salah has nine matches in which to join them. It won't be easy; he sits three goals behind Jamie Vardy, the league's top scorer, and has strong competition from the likes of Sergio Aguero and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang too. 

But Salah is nothing if not relentless, and we can expect to see him going all out in search of that magnificent hat-trick. 

He is not the only Liverpool player chasing personal glory, either. Alisson Becker is on course to pick up the Golden Glove award for the second season in a row, while Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all in with a shout of being crowned PFA Player of the Year. 

Such awards may pale when compared to the big prize, the Premier League trophy, but they still mean plenty to the players, trust us!