Arne Slot has a number of difficult selection decisions to make ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid
Liverpool could welcome a number of players back from injury when they host Real Madrid on Wednesday night. The Reds returned to action after the November international break with a 3-2 victory away at Southampton on Sunday.
The win saw them extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to eight points over Man City. With Arne Slot having won 16 of his 18 matches in charge of Liverpool, he’ll now be looking to extend that run against the reigning European champions.
Kostas Tsimikas missed the trip to St. Mary’s with a knock, but Harvey Elliott returned to the matchday squad after being side-lined since September with a fractured foot. With the Reds welcoming back a number of players to training last week, the ECHO takes a look at the changes Slot could make against the La Liga giants at Anfield…
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Race against time for defensive pair
Alisson Becker was involved in individual training last week, but Slot said on Friday that he did not expect the Brazilian to return in time to face Real Madrid. If proven right, Caoimhin Kelleher will retain his place.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is also yet to return to team training, with Slot previously admitting the full-back would be touch-and-go for the meeting with his transfer suitors. Conor Bradley should start if the Liverpool vice-captain hasn’t overcome his hamstring injury, with Joe Gomez an alternative.
The England international is also an option at centre-back if Slot fancies a change following a shaky performance from Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate on the south coast, though the first-choice pairing will likely continue.
Andy Robertson kept his place against Southampton after being recalled against Aston Villa, and is set to start again if Tsmikas is not fit to return. If the Greek is fit, however, Slot could opt to rotate at left-back once more having regularly switched between the pair since the Champions League got underway back in September.
Macca can start
A second half substitute against Southampton following his international exploits in South America for Argentina, Alexis Mac Allister is in contention to return to the starting XI alongside Ryan Gravenberch.
If he does get the nod, it leaves Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai vying to start at number 10 with Elliott very much unlikely to be thrown in from the start against Real Madrid, given he hasn’t made an appearance since August.
Diaz recalled as Chiesa returns?
Like Mac Allister, Luis Diaz was also limited to substitute duty against Southampton following his World Cup qualifying outings for Colombia. Regularly alternated with Cody Gakpo on the left-wing, he is likely to be recalled as a result.
Should the Dutchman retain his place, then the Colombian is instead an option down the middle. He scored a hat-trick when fielded up front in Liverpool’s last Champions League outing against Bayer Leverkusen.
Darwin Nunez will drop out if Slot opts for both Diaz and Gakpo rather than one or the other. Meanwhile, having returned to team training on Friday, Federico Chiesa has an outside chance of being on the bench.
As was the case with Alisson, Slot has already admitted he does not expect Diogo Jota to be fit in time to face Real Madrid.
