There is no respite for Liverpool as they prepare for their fourth game in nine days – this time at Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest.
The relentless barrage of fixtures has not yet resulted in an injury crisis for Arne Slot, but his players are undoubtedly feeling the pace as they juggle league action with FA Cup and Carabao Cup commitments.
Of the three games Liverpool played last week, including one upset, they only emerged victorious against League Two side Accrington Stanley. Manchester United picked up a deserved point away from Anfield before Tottenham upset the competition with a narrow victory over the Reds in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Tuesday’s clash against Forest is another really tough test, with Nuno Espirito Santo surprisingly in third place after putting together a superb run of success. In fact, they are just six points behind Liverpool at the top of the table and have won their last six games in a row across all competitions.
This is how Liverpool could play at the City Ground.
TW: Alisson – Liverpool’s number one goalkeeper missed the FA Cup game at the weekend but will be back shortly.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – Alexander-Arnold was criticized for his performance against Man Utd and responded the only way he knows how during his hour-long appearance against Accrington: firing a ball into the top corner from 20 yards.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – With Joe Gomez out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury and Jarell Quansah not at the forefront of Slot’s thoughts, it is Konate who is finding form alongside Alexander-Arnold.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – The Reds captain was able to put his feet up on Saturday but will be tightening his boots extra tight in preparation for Chris Wood’s 12-goal strike.
LB: Andy Robertson – The decline in Robertson’s performance level has been noticeable, yet he is still arguably a more consistent player than Kostas Tsimikas. The Greek played the full 90 minutes against Accrington, suggesting he will be on the bench again this time.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch – As one of the surprise packages of the season, it’s fair to say that Gravenberch is now one of the first names on Slot’s team list.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister – Likewise, Mac Allister is getting stronger in midfield and seems to be becoming a bargain by the day. If there’s one criticism of the 26-year-old, it’s that he doesn’t score enough goals – one in 18 Premier League games certainly doesn’t seem enough given his quality.
RW: Mohamed Salah – A player who has no problem getting to the net is arguably one of the Premier League’s greatest players ever. 18 goals this season, an average of one every 93 minutes, is elite.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai – The Hungary international will be vying with Curtis Jones for the attacking midfield role – there’s not much in it, but Szoboszlai could get the nod.
LW: Cody Gakpo – The Dutchman’s arrival at Anfield after the 2022 World Cup surprised many, given the quality that then coach Jürgen Klopp already had. But Gakpo is now one of the key parts of Liverpool’s forward line and has scored 12 goals in all competitions so far.
ST: Luis Diaz – Diogo Jota is working hard to reclaim his starting spot and with Darwin Nunez out through suspension, there is every chance he will get slot support. However, Diaz was great away from home for Liverpool and is hard to miss.