A look at how Liverpool could line-up for their final Premier League fixture of the season against Crystal Palace
Liverpool play their final match of the Premier League season on Sunday but all thoughts will be on the celebrations that will follow the visit of Crystal Palace to Anfield. The Reds will finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy after confirming their title win weeks ago with victory over Tottenham.
But since that win the Reds have failed to pick up three points in the league, losing to Chelsea and Brighton either side of a draw with Arsenal.
Arne Slot has rotated his side heavily for those matches as he looks to give minutes to some of his fringe players ahead of the summer, but how will he line-up on Sunday?
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Returns likely
Virgil van Dijk is virtually guaranteed to return to Liverpool’s starting 11 on Sunday before he raises the Premier League trophy following the final whistle. But who the Liverpool captain replaces in the back four remains unknown. Ibrahima Konate has been Slot’s first choice partner for the Dutchman but Jarell Quansah is another option.
Andy Robertson could be restored ahead of Kostas Tsimikas at left-back and Slot has already confirmed Conor Bradley will play out the remainder of the campaign at right-back ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has chosen to leave his boyhood club this summer.
Joe Gomez is another option having returned from injury to take his place on the substitutes’ bench at Brighton.
Midfield tweaks
Alexis Mac Allister will miss the final game of the season due to injury, with Slot admitting it wouldn’t be wise to push the Argentinian in light of his fitness. Dominik Szoboszlai could be moved further forward after playing alongside Ryan Gravenberch in a deeper role at Brighton, with Curtis Jones another midfield option.
Harvey Elliott is pushing for another start, having scored at the AMEX and Wataru Endo is another reserve.
Attacking changes
Federico Chiesa will be hoping to build on his first Premier League start of the season, yet the Italian will face competition from Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, the latter of whom could be positioned in a central role.
Should Slot decide to deploy Diaz in his more natural left wing position, Cody Gakpo could drop out. Slot has admitted he would expect Mohamed Salah in his office should they Egyptian be dropped, so expect him to start.