The Champions League has been a relatively safe space for Liverpool this season and Arne Slot will hope it can be again. His side welcome PSV Eindhoven to Anfield on Wednesday hoping for a change in fortunes again.
The Reds have lost six of their last seven Premier League games and seven of eight domestically. The win over Real Madrid prior to the international break might have halted an early-season slide but then came back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
PSV’s visit gives Slot a chance to atone, in part, for the poor performances of late. With nine points from 12 in the Champions League, Liverpool are well-placed to advance into the top 24 at least, but need to bring hope and optimism back more than anything.
Here, GIVEMESPORT, has all the team news ahead of the game.
Liverpool team news
Alisson returned against Forest after nearly two months out with injury but Florian Wirtz took his place on the treatment table with an injury picked up whilst with Germany.
Slot had been hopeful of his attacker making the match but Wirtz was not included in the squad. He also missed open training on Tuesday ahead of the PSV tie.
Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo was brought back in and Dominik Szoboszlai shifted into defence again with Curtis Jones preferred in midfield.
Slot’s tinkering did not work as Alexander Isak, restored to start, was taken off having hardly touched the ball. The challenge is now to lift Liverpool’s heads off the floor.
Conor Bradley also picked up a knock on duty with Northern Ireland and is expected to be out until mid-December at the earliest. Jeremie Frimpong should be back before then but only by a week or so.
Giovanni Leoni is the only long-term worry for Slot to deal with. Stefan Bajcetic and Jayden Danns are not in training either.
Slot gives Liverpool injury update
Joe Gomez has been taking extra measures to stay fit as he is kept out of the side despite being a natural defender, Slot revealed ahead of the game: “He is one of the five defenders we have.
“He had an injection last week in the knee, that’s not normal if you don’t feel anything. Apart from me making decision to play Dom [Szoboszlai] in that position, it’s also to do with Joe not being completely fit.
“He is in the group tomorrow but wasn’t able to train every single day last week.”
When it comes to his other defenders, Slot added: “We have five defenders available, and [left-back] is in the only position where we have double.
“In all the other positions Joe Gomez can help us out but there’s no other competition at this moment in time.”
On the right-back situation, he continued: “He [Szoboszlai] is one of the options I have but also clear Dom is good in other areas of the pitch.
“I was expecting we’d have a lot of ball possession against Forest so he could attack a lot down the right. Let’s see where we use him tomorrow, but I am going to use him, that’s for sure.”
Liverpool predicted XI vs PSV
- Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo
- Liverpool predicted subs: Mamardashvilli, Endo, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Chiesa, Isak, Ngumoha, Woodman, Misciur
Andy Robertson was on the bench on Saturday and could return here after another struggle for Milos Kerkez. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s top scorer Hugo Ekitike will fancy himself to bag in Europe again given Isak’s troubles.
Due to Gomez’s injection and issues, Szoboszlai keeps his place at right-back, leaving the midfield with Ryan Gravenberch, Jones, and Alexis Mac Allister.
No Wirtz makes Slot’s selection even tougher but up front it is about getting Ekitike and Salah firing with plenty of options from the bench.
PSV team news
Peter Bosz’s men are 11 games unbeaten in all competitions since losing their Champions League opener against Union Saint-Gilloise.
They do not have any clear new injury issues with Ruben van Bommel and Alassane Plea ruled out earlier in the season and likely until the new year.
Peter Bosz shares injury update
The experienced head coach said prior to PSV’s narrow 1-0 win over NAC Breda on Saturday: “The guys are back fit and fresh.”
He made four subs during the game, all between the 70th and 75th minute in a bid to keep his squad fresh and alsosee out the result.
Former Tottenham man Ivan Perisic is among the most famous names for PSV with Serginio Dest and Rcardo Pepi two of the other notable players in the squad.
PSV predicted XI vs Liverpool
- PSV predicted XI: Kovar; Dest, Gasiorowski, Schouten, Salah-Eddine; Junior, Veerman; Man, Saibari, Perisic; Til
- PSV predicted subs: Flamingo, Pepi, Driouech, Bajraktarevic, Olij, Obispo, Wanner, Boadu, Schiks, Sildillia, Fernandez, Nagalo
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