Darwin Nunez will replace Diogo Jota as the central striker when Liverpool host Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool have been outstanding in their first three matches of the league campaign under their new manager Arne Slot as they get set to host Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday. They have picked up wins in all three matches, including the 3-0 win away from home against Manchester United.
On paper, Liverpool are the better team here, and they will be expected to make it four wins in a row. They have the quality and the experience to grind out all three points here. Liverpool do not have any major injury issues heading into this game. Harvey Elliott has picked up an ankle injury, and he will be sidelined for a few weeks.
Arne Slot discussed Elliott during his pre-match press conference, saying, “Harvey is of course a big disappointment for him but not only for him, also for us because OK, he didn’t play that much in the first three games but he played a lot in pre-season and he showed himself really well so, of course, if he had stayed fit he would have had a lot of playing time in the upcoming fixtures.”
Alisson Becker is set to start in goal for Liverpool here, and the Reds will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities for their teammates going forward, and they will look to protect the central defenders as well. Ibrahima Konate will start in the heart of the defence alongside captain Virgil van Dijk.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will start in the anchor role, aiming to help out defensively and control the tempo of the game. Alexis Mac Allister will start alongside him, looking to add creativity and control to the side. Dominik Szoboszlai will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to carve out goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and link the midfield with the attack.
Mohamed Salah is expected to start on the right flank, with Luis Diaz on the left. The two players will look to open up the Nottingham defence with their pace and flair. Darwin Nunez might be handed a start here, and he will lead the line for Liverpool instead of Diogo Jota on Saturday.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez