Liverpool stars are put through their paces in training.placeholder image
Liverpool stars are put through their paces in training. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Arne Slot will have a series of selection dilemmas when Liverpool return to action after the international break
Liverpool will need to return all guns blazing after the international break, with their form dipping and title chances slipping away with a difficult run in October and November thus far.
Arne Slot gets paid his money for reacting to situations such as these, and he will be required to find more answers when the Reds return to action against Nottingham Forest later this month.
One conundrum which has followed the Dutchman so far this season is what to do with Florian Wirtz. The £116million signing was initially brought in as a game-changing attacking midfield option, but a lack of impact from the German has coincided with Dominik Szoboszlai finding a new level for the Reds so far this season.
Wirtz has, therefore, been shifted to the left wing, and put in an encouraging performance during the victory over Real Madrid. But as the former Bayer Leverkusen man continues to thrive far more in the Champions League than domestically, Slot might need to consider another option.
Rio Ngumoha reminds Slot of his quality with top-class England U19 assist
Alongside Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, Slot’s other main option on the left wing is Rio Ngumoha. While the 17-year-old is still primarily viewed as one for the future, his talent is undeniable and the argument can be made for him to earn his first-ever Premier League start if Wirtz continues to play with inconsistency.
The former Chelsea teenager picked up the ball on the left-hand side of the penalty area, twisting and turning beyond a defender on multiple occasions before firing the ball across the face of goal with his weaker left foot, where it was slid home at the far post by Shumaira Mheuka.
Ngumoha’s classy contribution to the goal served as a clear reminder to Slot that he is capable of delivering on the biggest stages if called upon.
‘Fearless’ Ngumoha is ready for Premier League
Harvey Elliott, who also broke onto the scene at a similar age with Fulham and then the Reds, told LFTCTV during pre-season: “He’s fearless. He showed that today against AC Milan, one of Europe’s big teams. He was like a kid in the park, although he is a kid!
“He just needs to keep going, and we’ll try as much as we can to try and help him out. I think if he keeps on performing as he is and working hard as he is, then the kid has got an amazing future. I’m really excited to see where things go, and hopefully he can be really successful.
“There are not many 16 or 17-year-olds [in the team], and he is in because he is incredible at his age and he is able to handle it. We can all see his quality, and he just needs to keep working hard and keep going. In the upcoming years, hopefully, he can show the world, and especially everyone at Liverpool, why he is so highly rated.”
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