Liverpool have been perfect in the Champions League so far and a point at home to Lille on Tuesday sees them through to the last 16.
The Reds have blinked on several occasions over the past month, but a Darwin Nunez double at Brentford on Saturday ensured that there was no waste in momentum. Liverpool are six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand and their strong position in the Premier League table means Arne Slot should be rested and rotated before visiting Ipswich this weekend.
Lille are 21 games unbeaten and chasing a top-eight finish, but that shouldn’t stop Sloto from offering members of the fringe squad a chance on Tuesday night.
Here’s how Liverpool could line up against Lille.
GK: Alisson – There could finally be changes for Sloto on Tuesday, but the Dutchman could keep his number one goalkeeper after keeping a clean sheet at the weekend.
RB: Conor Bradley – We all know what Bradley was up to the last time he started a Champions League game at Anfield. Good, Kylian Mbappe maybe remember.
CB: Jarell Quansah – Joe Gomez is out until February and Ibrahima Konata remains fragile, so young centre-back Quansah could be backed against Lille.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – Van Dijk has racked up the most minutes in Liverpool’s squad this season, and Slot is understandably reluctant to bring his stalwart defender out of the squad. If the manager makes major changes, he will keep Van Dijk to lead his troops again.
LB: Andy Robertson – The Scot hasn’t had the best season, occasionally finding himself on the bench, but Kostas Tsimikas could play an important role during the second half of the season. That could earn him impeachment.
CM: Wataru Endo – Endo proved useful in Year 1, but is not Slot’s ideal option in the middle. However, it’s time for Ryan Gravenberch to take a breather.
CM: Curtis Jones – Jones has primarily operated in a more advanced role under Slott, but the Englishman can shine in a deeper role and should offer Alexis MacAllister a break in midweek.
RM: Mohamed Salah – Like Van Dijk, Slot has used Salah relentlessly and the Egyptian will be reluctant to leave the squad given his recent drought.
AM: Harvey Elliott – English playmaker the recent rumors of a move away from Anfieldand he should get a chance to impress on Tuesday night as he has only appeared sporadically since recovering from a broken foot.
LM: Federico Chiesa – Chiesa is starting to play an increasing role for the Reds after scoring his first goal for the club in FA Cup. The Italian is in contention to return to Sloto’s starting XI after coming off the bench on Saturday.
ST: Darwin Nunez – Talk about timely dentures. Liverpool supporters began to grow frustrated with Nunez again but chanted his name until the early hours of Sunday morning after his heroics in west London.
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