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Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoller has admitted he expects to face Hugo Ekitike from the start against Liverpool, with Arne Slot facing a big call with his side.
Ekitike is likely to feature in some manner against his former side as the Reds look to get their season back on track in Germany later. Liverpool goes into the game having lost each of its last four games in all competitions, and a fifth defeat in Frankfurt would equal an unwanted 72-year record.
Slot will have some big decisions to make with his misfiring team, with pundits and fans alike calling for some big names - including Mohamed Salah - to be dropped.
Ekitike has been backed by many to earn a place back in the starting lineup. The Frenchman has been named on the bench for Liverpool’s last two games against Chelsea and Manchester United, with Alexander Isak instead leading the line.
The Swedish international has failed to score in any of his appearances for club or country since the Carabao Cup tie against Southampton last month. Ekitike, in contrast, has made an impressive start with the Reds, having scored five and added an assist in his 11 games so far.
The 23-year-old is one of a number of Liverpool players set to be reunited with their former coach Toppmoller, and the Frankfurt boss fully expects his former striker to get the nod over Isak later.
"I mean, there are several [Liverpool] players I trained already," Toppmoller told TNT Sports.
"[Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Ibrahima] Konate, and also for sure Ekitike. [Ryan] Gravenberch at Bayern as well.
"But for sure, with the connection [with Ekitike] it was closer because he was my player for one and a half years and my main striker, so it's very nice to see how he directly fits perfectly in the squad of Liverpool.
"He has already scored his goals, and he already has a big impact on the game for them, and I expect him also to start tomorrow.
"We are looking forward to seeing him and hopefully at the end of the game we will be the winners."
Despite Liverpool’s current losing streak, Toppmoller has insisted he doesn’t see it as a good time to face the Reds.
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"It's not about a good or a bad time,” Toppmoller said. “You need to have a closer look at the results and the games.
"If you have a closer look, they were in all games the better team. They had bigger chances to score now over the weekend.
"They were very unlucky in a lot of situations. [Cody] Gakpo, I think, hit the post three times.
"So, I mean, we know the quality of this team, but we also know that there are some possibilities also for us to be dangerous. And we want to take the energy from the stadium tomorrow, here in front of this crowd
"It's not so easy for every opponent to play here. So, yeah, we're looking forward to facing the champion of England."
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