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Arne Slot’s squad will be boosted by the return of two first-team stars on Saturday, even if neither is expected to start for Liverpool against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Federico Chiesa has overcome illness and looks set to be named in the matchday squad. So too does Mohamed Salah. Fresh from his midweek exile in Milan, the 33-year-old’s reconciliation talks with Arne Slot have at the very least earned him a reprieve this weekend.
Whether this is his Anfield swansong remains unclear, though. Slot has strengthened his position thanks to his handling of the delicate situation this week, but will need to return to winning ways at home after three successive Anfield outings without a win.
While Chiesa and Salah are back, there is less optimistic news on Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo, both of whom are set to be out for a few weeks due to injury.
Conor Bradley is also absent against Brighton after picking up a fifth booking of the season last week, meaning he received an automatic one-match ban.
Slot also confirmed on Friday that Alexander Isak is a doubt, while Jeremie Frimpong is not back yet from his injury absence.
Slot referenced in midweek how the Reds had just 13 outfield players with experience playing in the Premier League and Champions League, and he’ll call on a similar number against Brighton.
The other dilemma for the Liverpool head coach is whether to continue with the diamond shape that worked so effectively against Inter Milan, or revert to his more familiar 4-2-3-1 system. For the former, Isak’s availability may be a necessity.
What seems certain is that Slot will name Joe Gomez at right-back once again, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in the center of defense.
At left-back, Slot may plump for Milos Kerkez after he watched from the bench in Milan.
Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai look like guaranteed starters, while at least one of Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones should also make the line-up. Florian Wirtz is another who will most likely start against Brighton after coming the bench in the San Siro.
Given the injury concerns surrounding Isak, Hugo Ekitike looks like a cert up front, and he will hope to build on his two goals in Liverpool’s last Premier League outing.
Liverpool predicted line-up: Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Isak, Ekitike.
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