Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Liverpool could line up for Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Chelsea at Anfield.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will reinstate Caoimhin Kelleher to the starting lineup for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
The Reds have lost first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker for a number of weeks due to the hamstring injury that he picked up in the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace before the international break.
Kelleher was also missing that day due to illness, allowing Vitezslav Jaros to make his debut in the dying embers, but the Republic of Ireland international is now primed to act as the last line of defence.
Kelleher should be shielded by a regular backline of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson and Virgil van Dijk, the latter of whom was released early by the Netherlands after being sent off in the UEFA Nations League clash with Hungary.
Slot revealed in his press conference that the Reds were dealing with some unspecified issues following the international break, and while he did not dive into specifics, it would not be a surprise to see the South Americans spared after their late returns.
Alexis Mac Allister is a prime candidate for the drop after his recent scare, so Curtis Jones – who left the England camp for the birth of his child – is a contender to partner Ryan Gravenberch in the engine room.
Jones dropping deeper would mean an immediate recall for Dominik Szoboszlai in the number 10 role, while Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo ought to form an unaltered front three from the win over Palace.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota
No Data Analysis info