Liverpool team vs Brighton confirmed as Rio Ngumoha and Dominik Szoboszlai decisions made

Liverpool confirmed starting team vs Brighton as Arne Slot makes decisions on Rio Ngumoha and Dominik Szoboszlai for an important clash in the race for the Champions League places

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Liverpool has confirmed its starting XI to take on Brighton with Arne Slot bringing Cody Gakpo back in and Rio Ngumoha among the players to bring off the bench.

With Alisson Becker set to spend some time on the treatment table again, Giorgi Mamardashvili is handed another chance to impress in goal. Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez line up along the back four.

In midfield is where Dominik Szoboszlai's best position is, and he could be there alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. Hugo Ekitike is joined up top by Gakpo and Florian Wirtz, though the exact formulation of those in the final third remains to be seen.

The German could be a number 10, with Szoboszlai on the right, or the Hungarian could be at full-back with Frimpong on the wing. Slot said on Friday that he doesn't want Szoboszlai playing out of position, but that he may have no choice.

The Dutchman is expecting a good game for the neutral, with Fabian Hurzeler keen for his players to play an attractive style of soccer. That should, in theory, be exactly what Liverpool wants.

The Reds have not been free-flowing often this season, though Slot is keen for his side to build on the way they played midweek in the Champions League during a 4-0 demolition of Galatasaray.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)

"You are saying we're struggling to score goals and then you added in the first half," he said on Friday. "I would say we are struggling to score goals.

"Not that we don't score them, but with all the chances we create, it's unbelievable that we don't score more, especially looking at the quality we are having up front and throughout the whole team.

"But I don't look at games like that, like, 'OK, they will score in the second or the first half or are we first or second...'

"No, we need to be ready from the start because they will make it a very intense game, as I just said, and apart from the physical part, it's mostly also emotionally and mentally.

"It's not always easy after such an emotional, physical and mental peak we had on Wednesday evening to then go to a 12.30pm kick-off and face a team and fans that are not going to hold their hands in front of their face but want to come at it straight away.

"There we have to be very well prepared and be ready to face that fight and go into that fight with them."

Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Gakpo, Ekitike. Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Robertson, Ramsay, Nyoni, Chiesa, Jones, Morrison, Ngumoha.