Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool return to Anfield action on Saturday afternoon when they host Nottingham Forest, seeking to bounce back from their humbling 3-0 defeat at Manchester City before the international break.
That result left Arne Slot’s side sitting uncomfortably in eighth place with 18 points, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, making a home victory against struggling Forest essential if the Reds harbour any realistic title ambitions.
Forest arrives on Merseyside in 19th position but showing signs of improvement under Sean Dyche, having secured a vital 3-1 win over Leeds before the break and remaining unbeaten in their last three matches across all competitions.
But two Liverpool men are facing a disciplinary tightrope.
The Reds have accumulated 23 yellow cards in just 11 Premier League matches, giving them the joint-fourth worst booking record in the division.
Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlai both sit on four yellow cards, meaning another caution against Forest would trigger an automatic one-match ban under Premier League rules, which state that five bookings in the opening 19 fixtures results in suspension.
However, although Bradely has been ruled out for the clash, but still could be suspended later down the line as he is anticipated to return before the 19-match threshold.
The suspension risk extends beyond those two. Milos Kerkez has accumulated three yellow cards, while Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konaté have each collected two bookings so far this season.
With Liverpool facing seven matches in just 22 days following this weekend’s fixture, maintaining discipline will be crucial to navigating their congested fixture schedule.
Kick-off at Anfield is scheduled for 3pm GMT on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot also confirmed that Florian Wirtz is carrying a muscle injury after international duty, and will not feature vs Sean Dyche’s side.
Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.