Liverpool host Manchester United on Sunday, with head coach Arne Slott facing a different kind of selection headache in defense and midfield
Liverpool manager Arne Slott could be facing a defensive crisis ahead of Sunday’s big game against Manchester United, with him potentially without two key players from his back five. The Reds’ star goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss the match at Anfield after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray.
Adding to Slot’s woes is the uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate, who suffered a thigh injury in the Premier League game against Chelsea before the international break. Despite joining the France squad, the defender did not play in the first match and returned to Merseyside early.
With Giovanni Leoni already out for an extended period of time, Liverpool could be left with only two senior centre-backs fit to face United: captain Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
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But it’s not all doom and gloom for Slott, with his midfield options looking healthier, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Ryan Grabenbirch, who was substituted at half-time in the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Finland, is expected to be fit for the weekend. His decline was understood to be a precautionary measure.
Grafenwerch’s fellow midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also made successful international breaks. Mac Allister scored twice as Argentina defeated Puerto Rico 6-0, while Szoboszlai scored a last-minute equalizer for Hungary against Portugal.
Mac Allister, who had a fantastic season last year and helped the Reds win the Premier League, admits his recent performances with Argentina have given him a much-needed confidence boost. He said: “Scoring goals helps me and gives me confidence.
“Personally, this helps me continue to build confidence, especially when the season hasn’t started in the best way.”
In Slott’s debut season as manager, Mac Allister, Szoboschlei and Grafenwerch were his preferred midfield trio and were included in the starting lineup in the heartbreaking defeat to Chelsea.
But after a tough start to the season, Slott has something to seriously think about ahead of the game against Man United, with £116m summer recruit Florian Wirths showing promise from the bench at Stamford Bridge.
However, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Mac Allister should move on.
Murphy, who played 249 games for Anfield over seven seasons, scoring 44 goals and providing 41 assists, suggested: “I think Szobozlai and Grafenberg will be in the midfield at the moment.”
“Two super athletic guys who can cover a lot of ground, and I would put Wirtz ahead of them.
“When Mohamed Salah is up high, Szobozlai can move up to the right and help the full-backs defend, because obviously he has been given permission not to defend. It was very clear against Chelsea, but I think he could have defended a little more. I think the athleticism of both of them is what Liverpool need.”
“It’s not that I’m not a fan of Mac Allister. I think he’s a great player. Curtis Jones is great as well. But Mac Allister missing pre-season has affected him. He’s taking his time.
“We know physically he’s not at the same level as last season and that’s inevitable when you miss pre-season. It’s really hard to get back to that.”
“Right now, that’s my three games. I’m going to let Wirtz play until the end because I think the magic is going to happen.
“I would put Szobozlai and Grafenberg behind him because they are the two most athletic of our midfielders.”
Wirtz had yet to score or score a goal since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen, but at the time he could have set a British transfer record.
Therefore, there is a lot of debate surrounding the performance of the German national team players.
But Murphy, who was a key member of Gerard Houllier’s team that won the treble in 2001, believes that scrutiny has gone too far.
“When I was a midfielder, I used to watch to see if I was creating chances for other players,” the former England international told WetBasis.com. “When you do that, you lose control over who converts.
“The narrative is stacked against Wirtz because the numbers we’re obsessed with in this day and age aren’t helping him. I don’t think that’s going to be a long-term problem.”
“There is some adaptation when you play a more creative player as number 10 instead of an athletic player like Szoboszlai. The biggest problem is when you don’t have the ball, because Szoboszlai is so exceptional and unique in his ability to close down the pitch and move around. There aren’t many players like him.”
“Long term, he will benefit from having more creative power in that role, especially when he’s playing low blocks and needs moments of magic against them. I think that’s going to improve.”
“I’m disappointed with the negativity around Wirtz. I understand that when you’re paying that much to come, but it’s only been seven games. He’s 22 years old and he came to one of the biggest clubs in the world with high expectations. The expectations for him are probably higher than at any other club.
“I’m not worried. I’m a big fan of his and he just needs big moments. If he has his Szoboszlai moment (against Arsenal), that won’t happen.”
“I think the Liverpool supporters will cheer him on and support him as a group so we can see the best of him.”
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