Liverpool fans had been hoping to go into Sunday’s clash against Manchester City with some new options within their squad.
The Reds had a final chance to bolster their ranks in the January transfer window on Monday but passed up on the opportunity, instead choosing to leave themselves short in defence.
The annoyance of supporters at that decision will be even more acute on Sunday as they face a player many feel they really should have signed in Marc Guehi.
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Even more than Guehi, though, Liverpool also really should have bought a right-back, and after all the talk of a new arrival coming to nothing, they will once again have to deal with the reality of their dwindling options on Sunday.
There was some hope that Joe Gomez may at least be ready to come in and play on the right of the defence, but after Arne Slot offered a disappointing update on Thursday, the wheel of misfortune looks set to land on Dominik Szoboszlai once again.
Dominik Szoboszlai likely to go again at right-back
There had been some debate as to who would be Liverpool’s right-back for Saturday’s clash against Newcastle. In the end, Szoboszlai reprised a role he has played with aplomb this season.
But despite his clear ability to fill the role, Szoboszlai admitted he’d rather not play at right-back after the win over Newcastle, suggesting a frustration starting to creep in.
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Sadly for the Hungarian, Slot’s admission that neither Gomez nor Jeremie Frimpong are ready to start is likely to lead to him being asked to perform another thankless shift.
“Jeremie will definitely not train this week, so he’s not available for the weekend,” said the Liverpool head coach.
“With Joe we have a little bit of hope that he might train on Saturday, so not available to start but maybe available to help the team if needed during the game because as you already know there are not that many defenders available at the moment.”
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Are there any other options?
Szoboszlai may not be pleased about playing at right-back again this weekend, but for Liverpool he is the best option right now.
Supporters will remember the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium this season when Jeremy Doku gave Conor Bradley all sorts of problems, and with the Belgian preparing to shine once again, Slot needs to make sure he does everything possible to shut him down.
Although he would clearly rather have a natural right-back to call upon, Szoboszlai’s pace and physicality should make him a tough match-up for Doku.
Curtis Jones could be a different option, but the Scouser is a little more lightweight and not quite as quick. The same goes for Wataru Endo, who would surely struggle against Doku’s speed.
So, while he may not be all too happy about the fact, Szoboszlai is going to be needed in defence once again. After Liverpool’s transfer failure, it is unlikely to be the last time either.
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