Liverpool team vs Barnsley predicted as Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa decisions made

Liverpool faces League One side Barnsley in the FA Cup, with Arne Slot having hinted at a strong team, although we can expect the Reds boss to make some changes

Rio Ngumoha could be in line to start for Liverpool against Barnsley in the FA Cup(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool begins its FA Cup journey today as it hosts League One side Barnsley at Anfield, hoping not to go the same way as some of its Premier League rivals.

The Reds take a break from their top four mission to turn their attention to what could be their best chance at some silverware this season. With their title defense likely already over and still a long way to go in the Champions League, a trip to Wembley might have become a bigger priority for Arne Slot now.

He’ll certainly want to avoid a similar fate to the likes of Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, who have both suffered shock defeats over the weekend. As such, the Liverpool boss has hinted he will go strong against Barnsley later.

"I think last season I made the decision that some players needed to rest in the FA Cup because you cannot play every player every single time but it is obvious that we are not in the League Cup anymore, and the FA Cup has always been very important for this club," Slot said.

"Sometimes in a season when you are still competing for the League Cup, the Champions League, and the league. With the amount of players we had last season and we have this season, you have to make choices.

"I can guarantee you that on Monday you will see all the players you see (against Arsenal). Maybe with some substitutions, but then they will be on the bench, so that is going to be different from last season against Plymouth."

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has hinted he will name a strong team against Barnsley in the FA Cup(Image: Getty Images)

Having said that, we should probably still expect a much-changed side at Anfield, albeit perhaps with a stronger bench that featured in last season’s defeat at the hands of Plymouth.

Predicting today’s team does require a certain amount of guesswork, but one player we can almost certainly guarantee will start is Giorgi Mamardashvili, with Alisson’s backup getting his opportunity in goal.

Having now lost Conor Bradley for the remainder of the season, Calvin Ramsay could be set for something of a revival in his Liverpool career. We’ve got the Scot lining up at right-back, while Andy Robertson starts on the left.

Joe Gomez gets a start at center-back, and we’ll pair him with Virgil van Dijk. Hopefully the Reds can get the job done fairly quickly and give their captain a bit of a rest.

Curtis Jones should feature after being left on the bench against Arsenal, and although he played the full 90 minutes, Dominik Szoboszlai can start alongside him in midfield to provide some continuity.

Federico Chiesa could be handed a rare start against Barnsley(Image: MI News/NurPhoto)

It’s in attack where things change drastically. Youngsters Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni have had to be patient for their opportunities, but they can be rewarded today with starts, while Jeremie Frimpong can continue on the right - although it would probably be wise to give him no more than 45 minutes after playing every minute against Arsenal.

And while Slot has suggested Hugo Ekitike could return, it wouldn’t make much sense to risk him from the start after his recent injury, so Federico Chiesa gets a rare chance up front. Hopefully he’ll fare better than his last start against Wolves.

Liverpool predicted line-up vs Barnsley: Mamardashvili; Ramsay, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Szoboszlai; Frimpong, Nyoni, Ngumoha; Chiesa.