With Liverpool not yet quite over the line regarding Champions League qualification, Arne Slot must make the best of a depleted attack.
Liverpool and Aston Villa still need three points from their upcoming two matches to each guarantee Champions League qualification.
The Villans’ last fixture is away against Man City, but even if they were to lose to Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s team, they could still qualify for the Champions League thanks to the Europa League.
Unai Emery’s side face Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday so, despite Friday’s Premier League match still retaining an importance, attention may be elsewhere ahead of their trip to Istanbul.
Here’s how Liverpool could line up on a big night in Birmingham.
Team news
Here’s what Slot revealed in his press conference:
Mo Salah will be available “for only a few minutes”
Ibrahima Konate “is OK” and has trained
Alisson trained on Wednesday but “let’s see where he is tomorrow”
Florian Wirtz is on antibiotics for a stomach infection, “so let’s see how fit he is”
Liverpool’s XI vs. Aston Villa
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 25, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
With Konate, Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Alisson‘s availability all touch-and-go, it is difficult to predict Liverpool’s starting XI against Aston Villa.
Alisson has trained this week but may not be fit, so Giorgi Mamardashvili could start. Meanwhile, Curtis Jones may keep his place at right-back as Slot continues to play Jeremie Frimpong on the right wing.
At left-back, it is a toss-up between Andy Robertson and Milos Kerkez – Slot may decide to play the latter against Villa and save Robertson for his final Liverpool match, at Anfield against Brentford.
Having played 25 minutes from the bench against Chelsea, Isak should be able to start this match, which slightly alleviates Slot’s selection problems in attack.
Should Isak start, Cody Gakpo will probably play on the left instead of Rio Ngumoha.
Here are Slot’s likely selection options:
Mamardashvili starts because Alisson isn’t quite fit to play
Gakpo returns to the left wing as Isak plays up top
Ryan Gravenberch starts his 46th match of the season – he started 49 last time around
This is how Liverpool would line up:
Mamardashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isak
Alternatively, Alisson could be fit and take his place between the posts for the first time since March 18.
This scenario could also see Frimpong play at right-back, after two poor performances in a more advanced role.
With Salah still not ready to start, Dominik Szoboszlai may take up a right-sided position, as he did often earlier in his career at RB Leipzig.
Robertson plays, having started the previous three games before the Chelsea draw
Ngumoha gets his first Premier League start away from Anfield, with Isak on the bench and Gakpo up front
Frimpong returns to right-back after playing the last two matches in a more advanced right-wing position
Here’s how this alternate team would look:
Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Gakpo
While Slot’s options in attack are limited due to injury, the return of Isak – even if it is for just 45 minutes – should take some of the pressure off Ngumoha and Gakpo.
Another way to have reduced that pressure would have been to beat Man United or Chelsea, but alas, the trip to Villa Park still has something riding on it for both teams.
With Bournemouth in good form, the Reds will hope to have their top-five finish wrapped up before the weekend’s other fixtures. Three points would do the job.