Rio Ngumoha will return to the Liverpool starting lineup when they host Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool will aim to return to winning ways and get a step closer to securing UEFA Champions League qualification when they welcome Chelsea to Anfield on Saturday afternoon. Arne Slot has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Giorgi Mamardashvili (leg) and Alexander Isak (muscular) have resumed training this week, and they will be in contention to take on Chelsea. However, Alisson Becker (knock) and Mohamed Salah (hamstring) remain in the treatment room due to their fitness issues.
Additionally, Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), Wataru Endo (ankle), Stefan Bajcetic (unspecified), and Hugo Ekitike (achilles) are long-term absentees for the home side. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Slot provided fitness updates on Mamardashvili and Isak. The Dutch tactician also provided a clarification on Ibrahima Konate and Florian Wirtz after they missed a training session this week.
The Liverpool head coach said, “Alex trains with us again, only yesterday for the first time. So that’s a positive. Yesterday he did parts of it, so hopefully he can do parts – or everything – today and let’s then see how much we’re going to use him tomorrow.”
“Giorgi will train with us today for the first time so let’s see how he’s going to react. Ibou had a personal reason not to be there, but he was there yesterday and today again. And Florian was a bit unwell but he trained with us yesterday also.”
Freddie Woodman will continue to deputise for Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Chelsea on Saturday. The backline will feature Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez.
As for the midfield unit, Dominik Szoboszlai will line up alongside Ryan Gravenberch in the double pivot, with Florian Wirtz reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Cody Gakpo will lead the line for the home side against Chelsea, with Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong being the two wide attackers. So, Alexander Isak and Federico Chiesa will be among the backup options on the bench for the Reds.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Woodman; Jones, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Frimpong, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Gakpo