Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool team predicted as Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai decisions made
As Liverpool prepares to play Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Tuesday, manager Arne Slot finds himself in a unique situation.
Due to the Reds’ success this season, their calendar is quite full, but two cup games last week gave Slot the opportunity to rotate his team and have a break.
The starting lineup for Liverpool in the match at the top of the table is probably going to be based on the absence of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo from Saturday’s FA Cup victory over Accrington Stanley.
Slot also has a lot of choices because the Reds are without only Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez. But selecting Alisson in nets looks like a straightforward decision, even with Caoimhin Kelleher keeping a clean sheet against Accrington.
In defense, Jarrell Quansah, Wataru Endo, and Kostas Tsimikas are expected to be benched in favor of Van Dijk, Konate, and Robertson, leaving Alexander-Arnold as the only member of the back four from Saturday’s match to keep his spot. The latter hasn’t played since the Manchester United draw after receiving a two-match layoff last week.
In terms of midfield, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, who have started upfront of the back four in 16 of the Reds’ 19 league games this season, are anticipated to make a comeback. Choosing between Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai for the more attacking position will be a close call.
Given the latter struggled in recent games against Tottenham Hotspur and United, Szoboszlai seems more likely to start. The Hungarian’s half-time withdrawal on Saturday might be another indication of Slot’s plans.
Gakpo and Salah have been playing fantastically up front and appear certain to start. Who plays through the middle is less clear. In recent months, Diaz has tended to play as the number nine, but now that Diogo Jota is back and ready to play 90 minutes again, it presents an intriguing conundrum.
The Colombian is anticipated to join Salah and Gakpo in an intriguing front three because Diaz did not start either of the previous two games and should be more rested than Jota, who was chosen for both.
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