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Predicting Arne Slot’s Liverpool line-up to face Eintracht Frankfurt has become a hot topic on social media in recent days.
Given the form of Slot’s players, few can really feel assured about their place in the side. Even stalwarts Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have come under fire for their roles in Sunday’s devastating loss against Manchester United, and the four-game losing streak that is threatening to derail the Reds’ season.
Getting back to winning ways in Germany would be the first step towards resurrecting the campaign. But Slot and Liverpool received a blow ahead of the Champions League encounter with confirmation that Ryan Gravenberch has not recovered from an ankle injury in time to face Frankfurt.
“Yeah, I had to take him off during the weekend because he limped a little bit, as we could all see. So, unfortunately, he's not ready to play tomorrow,” Slot told Liverpool’s website. “That already means I definitely have to change one player and with him not being there, that might mean something for others as well because he has such a particular quality in our squad.
“We've seen when we played Bournemouth for example, when we played the Community Shield - that we missed a little bit of a player that was always protecting our back four.”
As Slot articulated, replacing Gravenberch isn’t straightforward. The former Bayern Munich man has established himself as one of Slot’s most reliable players in the last 14 months, and he has started all nine league and European matches since returning from suspension in August.
Liverpool has looked more vulnerable through its core this season, even with Gravenberch in the side. But in his absence across the first two matches of the campaign, the Reds’ porous center was more pronounced.
The obvious solution is a midfield pairing of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai behind Florian Wirtz. Typically, that would be Slot’s preferred trio, but with so many key men underperforming, a different approach may be sought.
In particular, Mac Allister has underwhelmed this term. The Argentinian is searching for his best form and, given he is still regaining fitness after a disjointed start to the season, may not be ready to start three matches in seven days.
Therefore, Curtis Jones could be drafted in. The academy graduate has delivered positive contributions against Galatasaray and United, and many will feel he is deserving of a first start since the trip to Turkey in Liverpool’s last Champions League outing.
Yet Slot’s comments about finding a “particular quality” were intriguing. Without Gravenberch, could he be tempted to hand Wataru Endo a rare start? The 32-year-old is the only naturally defensive midfielder in the squad, and Slot has referenced his importance to the side on several occasions.
Yet Endo has not started a meaningful game since Jurgen Klopp’s departure and has just returned from a two-week injury absence. It would be a major shock to see him named in the team at the Deutsche Bank Park.
One alternative Slot may consider is a complete switch of system, something the former Feyenord boss has not done once in his Liverpool tenure. He has religiously stuck to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shape since taking over at Anfield, but is in need of something different amid the team’s downturn in form.
The prospect of playing a back three of Van Dijk, Konate, and Joe Gomez is possible, while a 4-4-2 shape would appeal to Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitke.
Finally, could the answer to Gravenberch’s injury not be found in a change of players or system but by simply tweaking individual roles? For instance, if Mac Allister were instructed to sit in front of the back four and protect against opposition breakaways, the attacking opportunities afforded to the opposition may be drastically reduced.
Whatever the solution, Slot approaches the Frankfurt game with a specific problem to solve. Thankfully, the Dutchman is not short of possible remedies.
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