Arne Slot is expected to start Darwin Nunez in Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Bologna, with the head coach facing tough decisions elsewhere.
The Reds are back at Anfield on Wednesday night, with Italian side Bologna visitors in their second game of the Champions League‘s league phase.
It comes four days after a tough 2-1 win away to Wolves, and with an early kickoff away to Crystal Palace to come at the weekend it could see changes made.
Here are Liverpool’s potential lineup options vs. Bologna.
Team news
Liverpool trained in front of the cameras at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday, revealing the following:
- Nunez back after missing Wolves game due to illness
- Andy Robertson OK after knock to ankle in that win
- No Federico Chiesa or Diogo Jota – Jota underwent positive scan on foot
- Harvey Elliott still absent with fractured foot
Liverpool squad in training
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Jaros, Davies
Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Quansah, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Bradley, Tsimikas
Midfielders: Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones, Endo, Morton
Forwards: Salah, Diaz, Gakpo, Nunez
Liverpool’s XI vs. Bologna
While Slot has employed rotation effectively in recent games, the likelihood is that he will make fewer changes to his first-choice XI for the Champions League.
But with Jota unlikely to start despite positive results on his scan at the start of the week, at least one alteration is expected.
That should come with Nunez joining the attack, while Cody Gakpo is also an option to start, which could see the following:
- Regular back five retained with Robertson passed fit
- First-choice midfield start again
- Nunez and Gakpo to come in up front and on the left
Those two changes would see Liverpool line up like this:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
However, there is still a chance that Slot reshuffles his side more, including the opportunity to rest Robertson and perhaps make a tough decision on Dominik Szoboszlai.
With Szoboszlai not at his best in the No. 10 role against Wolves, it could be another chance for Curtis Jones to start.
Kostas Tsimikas is an obvious choice at left-back if Robertson is given a break, while Luis Diaz could be retained for more consistency further forward.
That would see:
- Tsimikas join an otherwise unchanged defensive line
- Jones in midfield with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister
- Diaz and Mo Salah both retained in attack with Nunez up front
If so, this is how Liverpool would look:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Diaz, Nunez
With the uncertainty over both Jota and Chiesa, there could be fewer options for Slot to consider in rotating for the Champions League.
But either way the Dutchman is likely to go strong, with victory over Serie A’s 12th-placed side required to continue a positive start to the expanded tournament.
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