Curtis Jones will replace Cody Gakpo in the Liverpool starting lineup when they host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool will be eager to continue the recent upturn in form when they welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday evening. Arne Slot has received a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Joe Gomez is closing in on returning to the starting lineup after stepping up his recovery from a hip injury. The English international is not yet fit enough to start against Manchester City, but he will be a backup option on the bench.
However, Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Conor Bradley (knee), and Alexander Isak (leg) remain in the treatment room, although Frimpong is closing in on returning. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Slot provided fitness updates on Gomez and Frimpong.
The Liverpool head coach said, “Jeremie will definitely not train this week, so he’s not available for the weekend. With Joe, we have a little bit of hope that he might train Saturday. So, not available to start but maybe available to help the team if needed during the game because, as you already know, there are not that many defenders available at the moment.”
Meanwhile, during his presser, Slot also addressed Florian Wirtz’s improved form in recent weeks. The Dutch tactician said, “I think it’s all, first and foremost, always credit to the player because he has to do the work not only on the pitch, also in the gym.And then as a manager, even if he is maybe physically struggling a little bit in the start, you need to keep on playing him because that’s the only way players can improve. He is an example of that where I had many of them this season. So, I think he did not even improve that much on the ball because from the start he was special on the ball.”
“Maybe now he has a better connection with his teammates because he played more and more together. That’s also what you get if you play them more and more together. But off the ball I see the biggest improvement with him and with some others. That combination makes you ready for the Premier League, because the Premier League is about both. It’s not only on the ball, it’s also definitely off the ball.”
Alisson Becker is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Manchester City on Sunday. The backline will feature Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez.
As for the midfield unit, Curtis Jones will pair up with Ryan Gravenberch in the double pivot, with Alexis Mac Allister reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for the home side against Manchester City, with Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah completing the numbers in the offensive third. So, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa will be among the backup options on the bench for the Reds.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike