A look at how Liverpool might line up when Arne Slot’s Premier League champions take on Aston Villa on Saturday night
Arne Slot will make big changes to his Liverpool team this weekend(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Having made 10 changes for the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, expect Arne Slot to once more make wholesale alterations to his Liverpool squad this week. Up next for the Premier League champions is a visit from Aston Villa as Slot aims to arrest a worrying slump that sees his team on a run of six defeats in their last seven games.
Having looked to keep his big guns as fresh and as prepared as possible for Saturday night’s meeting with Unai Emery’s Villa, the list of those players who will keep their place will be short.
Milos Kerkez, perhaps, is one who might start at left-back but having captained the side in an unfamiliar centre-back role on Wednesday night, Andy Robertson could potential make a league return on that side in place of the young Hungarian.
READ MORE: Marc Guehi spotted in full-time talks as Liverpool mocked after latest defeatREAD MORE: National media make brutal Liverpool transfer point as ‘beating’ triggers Arne Slot taunts
Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo will also drop out from centre-half as Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk return. Conor Bradley will be recalled at right-back with Jeremie Frimpong sidelined with a hamstring issue. Slot, though, does have the prospect of Gomez at full-back to play with, and given his side are susceptible to direct football just now, picking the versatile Londoner on the right might be a wise call.
Alisson Becker is back on the training pitches after his hamstring injury at Galatasaray a month ago but Giorgi Mamardashvili is still expected to keep goal on Saturday evening. Slot will deliver a fitness update on his Brazil international goalkeeper on Friday when he previews this game. It is likely to be a positive injury update given the developments this week for Alisson.
In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is vying for a recall but a lot rests on the fitness of both Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch. Dominik Szoboszlai will come back into the team and Slot was most hopeful on Gravenberch when asked after Wednesday night’s game.
“I think Ryan has a good chance,” Slot said. “The other [injured] ones, they’re going to be…let’s wait and see tomorrow and Friday. I don’t know all of them but Ryan has the best chance from all of them.”
With Jones nursing a groin injury and Mac Allister still not at full speed, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai are likely to be the two-man midfield pivot against the Villans.
Mohamed Salah will come back into the fold on the right side of the attack. The Egyptian, like many of his colleagues, was below par last week at Brentford but he took his goal superbly late on. That, perhaps, might have restored some confidence for the Egyptian, who has endured a tough campaign to date.
Cody Gakpo is expected to return on the left side of the attack, despite the claims of the hard-working Federico Chiesa on Wednesday night. The question is what Slot does over Florian Wirtz? Might this be a good chance for the Germany international to play himself into form?
Wirtz hasn’t started a game at Anfield in the Premier League since the 1-0 win over Arsenal in late August. It’ll be over two months by the time the Villa game comes around and the impetus and momentum is sorely needed now for the creative midfielder. Liverpool have lacked a spark in recent weeks and he could be the one to light the match, if given a prolonged run in the side now.
These next few days, at home under the lights – in big games against Villa and Real Madrid – should suit former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz. The No.10 role beckons.
Up top, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line as Alexander Isak continues to recover from a groin issue. The Sweden international picked up the issue in the 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt recently.