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THE REAL REASON FLORIAN WIRTZ ONLY TRAINED ONCE BEFORE THE FULHAM MATCH
Arne Slot faces an injury crisis as Liverpool visits Fulham. Get the latest on Florian Wirtz's hamstring and Joe Gomez's return.
Here's how Liverpool's lineup might look for Sunday's game against Fulham in the Premier League.
Arne Slot will be happy to have Joe Gomez back for the match, even if his options are a bit limited right now.
Gomez was playing well at right-back before he had a muscle problem in the win over Brighton. He brought some stability to the position while Conor Bradley was dealing with fitness issues, Jeremie Frimpong was out, and Dominik Szoboszlai was filling in.
Gomez's defensive skills were also helpful to Ibrahima Konate in early December. Liverpool then went on an eight-game unbeaten run, which helped steady things, though questions remain about their attack.
Slot said Gomez would be back in training on Friday, so he could be in the running to play. However, Bradley will likely keep his spot. Frimpong, who has played well recently, is also an option at right-back. Slot suddenly has a lot of choices there, which is a change from recent months.
The same is true on the left, where Milos Kerkez will compete with Andy Robertson for a place in the team. Robertson started the last game against Leeds, but Kerkez could be back in for this one at Craven Cottage. Konate will continue to partner with Virgil van Dijk.
In midfield, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch are hoping to start again, but will Alexis Mac Allister return? He came on as a substitute against Leeds and hasn't been as good as he was last season.
He's not the only one, but if Szoboszlai plays on the right wing, as he has been recently, then Mac Allister should be in line to return. A lot depends on where Frimpong plays.
The big question is what Slot will do with Florian Wirtz. The German player had a good December, including scoring the equalizing goal against Sunderland and the winning goal against Wolves. But Slot said after the Leeds game that they were a bit worried about his hamstring. It's a tricky situation.
Florian only trained once this week because he still felt his hamstring a bit, Slot said. We're trying to be careful without hurting our chances of winning. Missing another game would be a bigger problem if it takes five, six, or seven weeks.
If they decide not to risk Wirtz, Cody Gakpo is ready to replace him on the left. But whoever plays there, Hugo Ekitike needs more help scoring goals. He didn't score against Leeds, and none of his teammates stepped up to help.
With Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and Alexander Isak recovering from a broken leg, Slot needs all the goalscorers he can get. It would be great if Gakpo could get back to his best in London.
THE SHOCK REASON HUGO EKITIKE WAS SUDDENLY DROPPED FROM THE LIVERPOOL SQUAD TODAY
Hugo Ekitike is a shock absentee for Liverpool! Discover how Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz will lead the attack against Fulham.
Liverpool’s lineup is set for their Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage, and there are a few changes.
First off, Hugo Ekitike misses out. He started the 0-0 draw with Leeds on New Year’s Day and has scored 11 goals this season, but he picked up a minor injury. So, he doesn’t even make the squad for this one, and Cody Gakpo steps in to take his place up front.
Florian Wirtz, who’s been nursing a hamstring problem, had to come off during the Leeds match to manage his minutes. He’s fit enough now, though, and starts against Fulham.
Liverpool is already without Alexander Isak through injury and Mohamed Salah, who’s away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. Now, with Ekitike sidelined too, Arne Slot’s options up front are looking pretty thin.
Ekitike has scored eight goals in eighteen league matches, though he hasn’t found the net in his last two games against Wolves and Leeds. Before that, he was on a hot streak with five goals in three matches.
So, Gakpo will lead the line in West London, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz supporting him. Liverpool is going into this match without a traditional striker.
Gakpo’s one of three changes to the starting eleven. Milos Kerkez and Alexis Mac Allister also come in, while Jeremie Frimpong and Andrew Robertson drop to the bench.
Joe Gomez is back in the matchday squad after missing three games with a muscle injury. He’s among the substitutes and could feature if needed.
Liverpool wants to bounce back after that goalless draw with Leeds and stretch their seven-game unbeaten run in the league, even without Ekitike.
Here’s how they’ll line up: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Wirtz.
On the bench: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ramsay, and Ngumoha.
LIVERPOOL FACE A £100M DECISION AS SAUDI CLUBS PREPARE NEW MO SALAH BIDS
Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool is in doubt after a public fallout with Arne Slot. Get the latest on Saudi & Roma interest.
People are telling Mohamed Salah to put any thoughts of leaving Liverpool on hold and make sure he gets the send-off he deserves at Anfield. After Liverpool’s wild 3-3 draw with Leeds United last month, Salah went public—he accused the club of throwing him under the bus and said his relationship with head coach Arne Slot was finished. That interview really shook things up.
Slot left Salah out for the Champions League win over Inter Milan but then brought him back into the squad for Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Brighton. The two of them had a face-to-face talk, and before Salah left to play for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations, he apologized to his teammates.
Just a few days after that fiery interview, Jamie Carragher, a legend at Anfield, begged Salah to stay until the end of the season. Carragher wants Salah to get a proper goodbye from the fans before, as he expects, Salah leaves in the summer.
Now, David Thompson, who used to play in Liverpool’s midfield, agrees with Carragher. He says, “The whole thing with Slot is strange—nobody saw it coming. At 33, you’ve got to accept spending some time on the bench. I really hope this isn’t Salah’s last game for Liverpool, but honestly, if the Saudi clubs come calling, you can see why Liverpool would listen. He’s still worth a lot, especially in this transfer window.”
Thompson added, “He’s done so much for Liverpool. He deserves a real send-off, a chance for both him and the fans to say goodbye. He’s inspired everyone. Remember last season, when he said the club hadn’t offered him a contract? With the way he was playing, it was obvious the club would have to sort it out.”
He kept going: “There’s been a lot of changes—new system, new style, new players. They defend differently now, and there’s less chaos up front, which is where Salah used to shine. His performances haven’t hit his usual heights, and teams are targeting that side by doubling up on him. But in terms of value and standards, he’s set the bar for everyone else at Liverpool. The rest of the squad has been trying to keep up with him. He’s dragged them up to his level.”
Saudi clubs want Salah, and Sam Allardyce thinks Liverpool will sell if the price is right. On his podcast, Allardyce said, “Don’t kid yourself—if a Saudi club comes in with a good offer, Liverpool will sell him. Loyalty in football doesn’t really exist, not from players and not from clubs. Just look at what happened with Jordan Henderson. Normally, he’d have left for free at the end of his contract, but Liverpool got almost £20 million for him. If the offer is right and you’re looking at the player’s age, the club’s going to say, ‘Thanks, and off you go.’”
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