As weeks go, it doesn’t get a lot greater than the visits of Actual Madrid and Man Metropolis within the area of simply 5 days – and it leaves Arne Slot with lots to consider.
Liverpool returned from the worldwide break with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Southampton, with Mohamed Salah‘s wild celebration talking volumes of the significance of these three factors.
It means the Reds head into this week with an opportunity to all however assure their place within the knockout levels of the Champions League and set up an 11-point lead over Metropolis within the league.
Anfield is poised for 2 feral nights underneath the lights, however whereas all of us get mentally and emotionally ready for the massive week forward, Slot has some vital choices to make.
Who will get the nod at left-back?
Kostas Tsimikas was unavailable towards Southampton because of a knock, however one would anticipate him to be again in rivalry from Actual Madrid‘s go to onwards.
Beforehand, we wouldn’t have batted a watch at Andy Robertson beginning three video games in a row in a single week, however he’s now 30 and is coming off the again of an intense worldwide break.
There is no such thing as a method he can maintain a excessive degree of efficiency by enjoying in each video games this week.
So, the query is does Slot maintain the veteran in place for the go to of the reigning La Liga champions after which introduce Tsimikas towards Metropolis? Or does he rotate in every sport?
If it had been as much as some followers, the crew that faces Actual would name for a plethora of youthful faces because the precedence lies with Metropolis on Sunday, such is our sturdy place in Europe.
Contemplating how Slot has used his left-backs up to now, it suggests we’ll see Tsimikas restored to the lineup on Wednesday – so long as he’s match – and Robertson chosen to face Metropolis.
rotate the ahead line?
With Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa but to return to the rotation pool, Slot will once more be choosing from Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
Although, we are able to actually lock Salah in for each beginning lineups having been named on the bench simply twice this season – there’s no method he’s lacking out right here.
That leaves query marks over who assumes the function on the left wing and who occupies the central function, but when I had been Slot, that is what I’d select:
To make this occur, Diaz could be subbed across the 60-minute mark on Wednesday for Nunez – affording him some relaxation earlier than beginning on the left wing on the weekend.
Time will inform if Jota may be thought-about for a job however, because it stands, this feels one of the simplest ways to go about it up prime.
Will injured gamers be welcomed again?
Trent Alexander-Arnold (hamstring), Jota (rib), Alisson (hamstring) and Chiesa (health) are presently on the harm listing, however all have been making constructive progress.
Slot and Co. will know to not rush any of them again into the fold because the schedule extends properly past these two fixtures, however there can be consideration wanted for potential involvement.
The constructive is that these presently filling in are performing admirably, that means there is no such thing as a rush to push the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley out of the facet.
As an inventory of priorities go, the main target ought to be on Metropolis even when any of the injured quartet are ‘prepared’ to face Madrid – at most, appearances off the bench in midweek will definitely do.
Whereas we’re all keen to offer Actual a style of what they’ve given us in recent times, it’s merely not the time to be forcing something.
