Arne Slot faced with hard Ibrahima Konate choice as Liverpool consider overhaul

Liverpool's woes continued as they suffered a dismal 3-0 Premier League defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon. The Reds now find themselves languishing in the lower half of the table, effectively waving goodbye to any realistic hopes of defending their championship title won just six months ago.

Arne Slot's squad will now shift their focus to the Champions League, with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven - who triumphed over a significantly altered Liverpool team in January — visiting on Wednesday evening.

In this piece, we'll explore the potential changes that Reds head coach Slot might implement for their next match.

The Konate Conundrum

The disheartening loss to Forest marked the beginning of a gruelling schedule for Liverpool, with seven matches lined up within 22 days, leaving Slot with no choice but to rotate his squad.

However, injuries could restrict his options, especially at right-back where both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong are anticipated to be sidelined for the entire duration.

Dominik Szoboszlai filled the position against Forest, with Joe Gomez left unused on the bench after missing last Thursday's training. However, Gomez is likely to be considered by Slot, with Curtis Jones being the only other viable alternative given Calvin Ramsay's absence from the Champions League squad.

Yet, the poor performance of Ibrahima Konate may prompt the Reds boss to bring back Gomez at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk, particularly with young Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the season.

Andy Robertson is set to compete with Milos Kerkez for the left-back position, while Alisson Becker returns as the first-choice goalkeeper, ahead of Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman.

Wirtz missing

The midfield is quickly becoming a significant worry for Slot due to the recent lack of defensive cover for the backline.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have been operating as the double pivot, although there was a shift towards a more traditional 4-3-3 formation during parts of the loss to Forest, with Gravenberch playing deeper.

Wataru Endo, a more defensive option, has only started seven games in over a year and just one in the Champions League under Slot. The adaptable Szoboszlai and Jones can also fill a deeper role.

With Florian Wirtz expected to be absent due to a muscle problem, Szoboszlai may move back into an attacking midfield role, with Jones having started in central midfield last time out.

Trey Nyoni, the 18 year old midfielder, hasn't made a matchday squad in the Champions League this season and has instead been captaining the U19s in the UEFA Youth League.

Isak out?

Alexander Isak's ongoing struggles could make Hugo Ekitike the favourite to reclaim his starting spot against PSV in the central attacking role, with Federico Chiesa another possibility. Teenager Jayden Danns remains unavailable.

Chiesa could potentially challenge Mohamed Salah for a spot on the right wing, although it appears improbable that the Egyptian will be given a rest ahead of his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

Cody Gakpo was brought back on the left against Forest but, with Wirtz unavailable, Chiesa and 17 year old Rio Ngumoha - who made only his second Premier League appearance in two months at the weekend from the bench - are the available options.

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