Arne Slot has made one change to the XI to face West Ham at Anfield.
Arne Slot has made one change to the XI to face West Ham at Anfield. Image source: Getty
Liverpool fans have expressed their disappointment after teenage star Rio Ngumoha was excluded from the XI to take on West Ham in the Premier League. Arne Slot's side are looking to make it successive league wins as they play host to the relegation-threatened Hammers at Anfield.
Liverpool ran out narrow 1-0 winners over Nottingham Forest last week to keep their hopes of UEFA Champions League qualification alive. The Reds struggled for large spells at the City Ground before 17-year-old Ngumoha brought much-needed spark off the bench. The youngster's sublime skill and cross led to a goal which was disallowed before Alexis Mac Allister's last-gasp winner.
Arne Slot has opted to make just one change to the XI that defeated Forest, with Joe Gomez coming in at right-back. This means that Ngumoha starts on the bench once more, a decision that has not gone down well with the Reds faithful.
A fan asked what the youngster needs to do to start a game.
Another fan described the situation of the young Englishman as a 'f***ng joke'.
A fan pointed out that the team would be set up to compete better if Ngumoha was named in the XI instead of Cody Gakpo.
Another fan was left feeling frustrated as the underperforming Gakpo continues to start games ahead of Ngumoha, who has impressed in his cameo appearances.
Rio Ngumoha still awaits his first Premier League start for Liverpool, having joined the Reds in the summer of 2024. The young forward has played just 89 minutes of league football this season, spread over nine appearances, as he continues to push for more first-team opportunities.
Liverpool without Wirtz for second straight game
Liverpool are set to take on West Ham without big-money midfielder Florian Wirtz, who remains out with an injury. The Germany international was absent from the matchday squad as the Reds' line-up for the clash at Anfield was revealed.
Reds boss Arne Slot revealed in his press conference on Friday that he has no timeline for the return to action of Wirtz. He explained that he sometimes plays mind games with injury updates, but genuinely has no idea when Wirtz will return.
“At this moment of time, I don't know when Flo will be back. Usually when I say that, I do know and I don't want to share that. But this time, I honestly don't know", he said (via @FabrizioRomano on X).
Florian Wirtz suffered an injury while warming up ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest, having been named in the starting XI. The 22-year-old has scored six goals and provided six assists across all competitions for Liverpool since his £116 million move last summer.