Arne Slot advised to leave out ‘wonderful’ midfielder against Man Utd with strong backing for Florian Wirtz
Liverpool manager Arne Slot could be dealing with a defensive headache ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated clash with Manchester United, with two key players possibly missing from his back line. Star goalkeeper Alisson Becker has been ruled out of the Anfield fixture after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray.
Adding to Slot’s concerns is the uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate, who picked up a thigh injury in the 2-1 Premier League loss to Chelsea before the international break. Despite joining up with the French national team, the defender didn’t feature in their opening game and has since returned to Merseyside for further assessment.
With Giovanni Leoni already out long term, Liverpool may be left with only two fit senior centre-backs — captain Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez — for the showdown with United.
However, not all news is bad for Slot, as his midfield options appear to be in good shape, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Ryan Gravenberch, who was subbed off at halftime during the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Finland, is expected to be fit for Sunday, with his withdrawal believed to be precautionary. Fellow midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also enjoyed productive international breaks. Mac Allister scored twice in Argentina’s 6-0 rout of Puerto Rico, while Szoboszlai netted a dramatic equaliser for Hungary against Portugal.
Mac Allister, who played a crucial role in last season’s Premier League title win, admitted his brace for Argentina was a timely boost to his confidence:
> “Scoring goals helps; it gives you confidence — especially when the season hasn’t started in the best way personally. This helps to keep building belief.”
In Slot’s debut campaign, his preferred midfield trio has been Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch — the same lineup that started the loss to Chelsea. But £116m summer signing Florian Wirtz impressed off the bench at Stamford Bridge, giving Slot a selection dilemma ahead of the United game.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Mac Allister should make way for Wirtz.
> “Right now, I’d go with Szoboszlai and Gravenberch in midfield — two super athletic players who cover lots of ground — and play Wirtz ahead of them,” Murphy said. “Szoboszlai can drift right to help the full-back when Salah stays high. The athleticism of those two is what Liverpool need.”
Murphy added that Mac Allister’s lack of a full pre-season has affected his sharpness:
> “He’s a wonderful player, but missing pre-season has held him back physically. You can see he’s not at the same level as last year.”
Wirtz, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in what could have been a record-breaking transfer, has yet to score or assist for Liverpool — sparking debate over his early form.
Murphy, part of Gerard Houllier’s 2001 treble-winning squad, believes the criticism has been excessive:
> “People focus too much on stats. Wirtz is creating chances, and that’s what matters. He’s 22, adapting to a massive club, and under huge expectations. I’ve been disappointed with the negativity. Once he has that big moment — like Szoboszlai’s goal against Arsenal — it’ll change everything.”
He concluded by backing the young German to succeed:
“I’m a big fan of his. The supporters will rally behind him, a
nd we’ll see the best of Wirtz soon.”