Liverpool team vs Brighton predicted as Rio Ngumoha decision made after Alisson blow

Liverpool faces Brighton in its final game before the international break, with the Reds presented with a huge opportunity in the race for the Premier League's top five

Rio Ngumoha will be vying for a spot in Liverpool's team against Brighton(Image: Getty Images)

As the international break draws upon us, Liverpool is presented with another opportunity to strengthen its hold on the Premier League’s top five - and it’s one it can ill afford to pass up.

The Reds are on the south coast as they take on Brighton, and having seen Manchester United slip up the previous night, they can give their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League a major boost before Chelsea and Aston Villa even get the chance to kick a ball this weekend.

Despite a bad week for England’s top sides in Europe, it still looks as though fifth will be enough for a place in the Champions League, thanks in no small part to Liverpool overcoming Galatasaray. Arne Slot therefore has to take this chance while he can.

The Liverpool boss is hindered though by two of his key players being out. Mohamed Salah is confirmed to be missing after he asked to be substituted on Wednesday, while Alisson was ruled out on Friday as his injury problems flared up once again.

Giorgi Mamardashvili will therefore take up the mantel once again in goal, and it remains to be seen whether he will get more opportunities after the international break.

Having dispatched of Galatasaray so convincingly on Wednesday, there shouldn’t really be any need for Slot to make any changes to his back four, so Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez can all continue.

Arne Slot has a big decision to make with Mohamed Salah out injured(Image: Getty Images)

Frimpong will be the obvious concern there, given his injury lay-offs already this season, and the fact he had to do a little more work than the other defenders in an attacking sense, but as long as he isn’t showing any signs of fatigue, he should stay at right-back.

Not least because that frees Dominik Szoboszlai up to stay in midfield, where the Reds’ player of the season can have the most impact. We’ll stick with the usual midfield trio, with the Hungarian lining up alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

Florian Wirtz should also retain his place - it’s just a question of where he plays. Hopefully, Slot sticks with the same blueprint he used in midweek, giving Hugo Ekitike someone to play alongside up top.

That does unfortunately mean there will probably be no place in the side for Rio Ngumoha. There is maybe a possibility that one of Wirtz, Mac Allister or Szoboszlai could play further forward to accommodate him, but that would feel a little like trying to fit square pegs in round holes.

Therefore, with Salah out, Cody Gakpo feels as though he might be the most likely to earn a place in that role up top. The Dutchman needs to rediscover some form, and although it’s not his favored position, perhaps he can utilize it like Salah did to answer some of his doubters.

Liverpool predicted team vs Brighton: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Gakpo, Ekitike.