Liverpool team vs Man City confirmed as Mohamed Salah and Joe Gomez decisions made

Liverpool has confirmed its starting XI to take on Man City in the FA Cup, with decisions made on Mohamed Salah and Joe Gomez at the start of a huge week for Arne Slot

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Mohamed Salah starts at the Etihad Stadium for the final time as a Liverpool player as Arne Slot’s side take on Manchester City in the FA Cup, but Alexander Isak is not yet ready to return to the bench.

With Alisson Becker injured, Giorgi Mamardashvili retains his place in goal, with Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez lining up across the back four. Jeremie Frimpong limped off for the Netherlands on Tuesday but he trained on Thursday and is with his teammates in Manchester, on the bench against the club he represented at youth level.

Ryan Gravenberch is joined in midfield by Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai, with Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz completing the starting XI. Alexis Mac Allister is among the substitutes.

Isak was only ever going to be available as a substitute at best, while the Swede and Frimpong’s minutes need to be managed.

Alisson will be sidelined until after at least the second leg against PSG next midweek, though he hopes to return before the end of the month.

"That's throughout the whole season how much you want it," Arne Slot said when asked about the prospect of a huge week that also includes a vital Premier League clash with Fulham.

"But it's also about who is available and who is not and I think the Brighton game summed our season up completely.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola embraces Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)

"So, after a great game midweek against Galatasaray, we immediately hit the setback the day after with Ali and Mo being out.

"And then three minutes into the game, Hugo Ekitike went out and I think we could also see that in the second half, one or two players struggled with the fact that we played during midweek and those were the players that were not used to it yet because of injuries throughout the whole season.

"But now, Mo is back. Ali unfortunately isn't, but I think much more of our players are used to the program now than they were in the beginning of the season.

"So now it's up to us to show that we are ready for this tough fixture list. Tough in a sense of the opponents we face — but that's completely normal if you are still in the FA Cup and if you're still in the Champions League that you face tough opponents — and tough in a sense that it's a lot of games with hardly any rest in between.

"But we are now eight or nine months further than we were in the start of the season and I think more and more players are ready for this schedule than they were for large parts of the first half of the season."

The winner of today’s game between Liverpool and Manchester City will book a place at Wembley for the semi-finals. In the event of a draw in 90 minutes, there will be extra time.

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