A look at the selection decisions Liverpool head coach Arne Slot faces ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Wolves.
It might be a rare occasion when Arne Slot is not too bothered about the swift turnaround of games.
The Liverpool boss knows that he has the opportunity to atone for an abject 2-1 loss at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers. A ninth Premier League defeat of the season means the Reds’ campaign is on the precipice.
Champions League qualification hangs in the balance. Liverpool are fifth in the table, but they are in a fierce battle with Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester United.
Should the Reds fail to book their spot in Europe’s elite competition, silverware could be Slot’s salvation if he is to remain in the Anfield hot seat. The Champions League is the chief priority, with Liverpool travelling to Galatasaray in the last-16 first leg next week.
But first, Liverpool are in FA Cup action when they make another trip to Wolves in the fifth round. Improvements will be required and Slot has decisions to make when it comes to his team selection. He may well want to make changes but, with Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni, Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajcetic still sidelined, options are limited.
Ahead of the cup tie, here’s a look at the questions posed to the Liverpool boss.
Goalkeeper and Defence
Alisson Becker hardly covered himself in glory with his clearance that gifted Wolves possession for Andre Trindade’s 94th-minute winning goal. The Brazil international’s kicking has become a concern of late. However, it’s not as though Giorgi Mamardashvili is more adept with his feet. The fact that Alisson played in the fourth-round win over Brighton suggests that he will keep his spot.
It is highly unlikely that Jeremie Frimpong can start again after recently recovering from a groin issue. Joe Gomez replaced Frimpong in the 72nd minute and that change may happen from the outset. On the opposite side of defence, it would hardly be a surprise if Andy Robertson comes in for Milos Kerkez, despite Kerkez not doing too much wrong.
Virgil van Dijk received little sympathy for the push he claimed he got before Wolves’ first goal, while Ibrahima Konate was dragged towards the long ball his centre-back partner challenged for and was left out of position.
Midfield
Ryan Gravenberch’s performance at Wolves led to him being hooked at half-time. The Netherlands international had been booked, having committed four fouls, and gave the ball away seven times. Gravenberch has been Liverpool’s out-and-out No.6 since Slot’s arrival as head coach and, although he was replaced by Curtis Jones at the break, it might be put down to a bad night at the office for the former Bayern Munich man.
Alexis Mac Allister was one of Liverpool’s better performers, especially in the opening 45 minutes. Dominik Szoboszlai had a quiet evening by his own standards but has been the Reds’ best player this term.
Yet Slot has said that Trey Nyoni has made encouraging progress of late. The 19-year-old has been a regular on the first-team bench and should have scored during a substitute cameo against West Ham. Perhaps Nyoni could come into the thinking if the Liverpool boss wants to freshen things up slightly.
Forwards
Liverpool’s wingers are in torrid form. Even though Mo Salah scored for the first time in 10 league games, his output has dipped. The opportunity he spurned moments later, with the Reds breaking in a four-on-two scenario, typified Salah’s woes.
On the opposite flank, Cody Gakpo’s troubles continued. In truth, Slot may not change both wide men, but it is scarcely something supporters would oppose. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is among the growing number championing Rio Ngumoha to be handed a start. The 17-year-old was electric yet again when coming off the bench, with a shot forcing a save out of Jose Sa and hitting the post.
Sections of supporters would also like to see Kieran Morrison given a chance to show what he can do. The 19-year-old, an unused substitute at Wolves, has scored 10 goals in his previous six games for the under-21s and has made rapid progress in recent months.
Up front, Hugo Ekitike was starved of service but remains the only out-and-out striker unless Federico Chiesa is given a chance.