A look at how Liverpool might line up when they are hosted by Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday night
Arne Slot must decide whether or not to recall Mohamed Salah
Another day on the road beckons for Liverpool as they travel to Brentford for what is their seventh away game of the season this weekend. The Premier League champions have the chance to reduce the gap on leaders Arsenal to one point with victory ahead of the leaders’ visit from Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
Having made five changes in an effort to get his team firing once more after a run of four successive defeats, the Reds responded with arguably their best performance of the campaign by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in Germany.
But it will be in the Premier League where judgements are reserved on whether or not Arne Slot’s men have turned the corner and there will be a real examination at the Gtech Community Stadium this Saturday night.
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The first question is what to do at right-back. After Jeremie Frimpong’s hamstring injury, it’s almost certain that Conor Bradley will return on that side. On the opposite flank, the major call now is whether to stick with Andy Robertson or recall Milos Kerkez?
The latter is enduring a difficult start to his Anfield career and the Scotland captain might be required for his experience in west London.
Curtis Jones was excellent in Germany and if Ryan Gravenberch is still struggling with that ankle issue, it’s likely the Liverpool-born midfielder will be entrusted to once more occupy those deeper positions in the engine room.
After resting Alexis Mac Allister for the majority of Wednesday’s game, however, does the Argentina World Cup winner return? With Dominik Szoboszlai in excellent form of late, the Hungary captain will be a tough player to dislodge.
Much will depend on the fitness of Gravenberch when it comes to the midfield makeup for Slot and he will be in place to deliver an update when he speaks to the media on Friday morning at the AXA Training Centre.
Another interesting debate is what the Reds boss does over Florian Wirtz. The Germany international turned in his best performance for the Reds to date in his homeland, particularly when he put it on a plate for Cody Gakpo to score in the second half.
Wirtz will be brimming with confidence after his display at the Deutsche Bank Park, but might Brentford’s physical approach be a game where Slot feels the attacking midfielder might be best used off the bench? Space in the middle of the park might be at a premium, so perhaps a position tweak may be in the offing?
One player who has to start is Hugo Ekitike. The France international took his sixth goal of the season in superb fashion on the night on Wednesday, tearing away from the Frankfurt defence before coolly slotting home.
And given Alexander Isak is now set for a spell on the sidelines with a groin issue, Ekitike simply has to lead the line in London. That’s the easiest call of the weekend for Slot.
Gakpo is expected to keep his place, having scored three in three, but what happens over Mohamed Salah? The Egyptian was a second-half substitute of course in Frankfurt and his determination to get back into scoring form was obvious, notably when he chose to shoot rather than play in Wirtz for a tap-in at 5-1.
It’s just not quite clicking for Salah right now and two goals this term – and only one in open play, over two months ago – is proof enough of that in the Premier League.
But is that enough to give Federico Chiesa the nod over such a historically prolific marksman? Perhaps this might be a game for Wirtz to operate in a wider area in an effort to get him on the pitch?
Chiesa hasn’t started a Premier League game this term but has looked sharp and alert when called upon. It would represent a huge call from Slot though if he was to take Salah, the third top scorer in club history, out of the team for the game this weekend.
As ever, it is decisions, decisions for the Reds boss.
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