2 months ago
18
Liverpool manager Arne Slot could be staring down the barrel of a defensive crisis ahead of Sunday's monumental Premier League clash with Manchester United, as two key members of his back five may be absent.
The Reds will have to face their rivals without star goalkeeper Alisson, who sustained a hamstring injury during the 1-0 Champions League loss to Galatasaray. Slot's problems are compounded by the uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate, who picked up a thigh injury in the 2-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea prior to the international break.
Despite linking up with the France squad, the defender didn't feature in the team's first match and returned to Merseyside early.
With Giovanni Leoni already out for an extended period, Liverpool could potentially be left with just two fit senior center-backs for the United showdown - skipper Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
However, it's not all bad news for Slot, as his midfield options appear to be in good shape. Ryan Gravenberch, who was taken off at half-time during the Netherlands' 4-0 win over Finland, is expected to be ready for the weekend. His substitution was believed to be a precautionary measure.
Gravenberch's fellow midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also had successful international breaks. Mac Allister netted twice in Argentina's 6-0 demolition of Puerto Rico, while Szoboszlai scored a last-gasp equaliser for Hungary against Portugal.
During Slot's first season in charge, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch formed his favored midfield combination, and all three were selected in the starting XI for the loss to Chelsea.
Yet with summer signing Florian Wirtz demonstrating potential as a substitute at Stamford Bridge, after his own difficult beginning to the campaign, Slot faces a significant selection dilemma before the team's game against Man United.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, though, reckons Mac Allister ought to be the player making way.
"I would say at the moment, I would go with Szobozslai and Gravenberch in the middle," proposed Murphy. "Two super athletic players who can cover lots of ground. And I'd put Wirtz ahead of them.
"Szobozslai can go towards the right and help the full-back defend when Mohamed Salah stays high because obviously he's been given the license to not defend.
"That was pretty evident in the Chelsea game, although I do feel he could have defended a bit more. I think the athleticism of those two is what Liverpool needs.
"It's not that I'm not a fan of Mac Allister, I think he's a wonderful player. Curtis Jones is terrific as well. But Mac Allister, missing preseason has affected him. He's taking his time.
"You can see physically he's not at the same level as he was last season, and it's inevitable when you've missed pre-season. It's really tough to get that back.
"That would be my three at the moment. I'd let Wirtz play through it because I think the magic will come. I would have Szobozslai and Gravenberch behind him because they're the two most athletic midfielders that we've got."
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