Liverpool manager Arne Slot has some decisions to make for the Reds’ clash with Manchester United on Sunday. The Anfield side will definitely be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who suffered a hamstring injury during their 1-0 Champions League defeat at Galatasaray. Adding to Slot’s woes is the uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate, who injured his thigh in the 2-1 Premier League loss at Chelsea before the international break.
Despite joining up with the France squad, the defender played no part in their first match and returned to Merseyside ahead of their second. With Giovanni Leoni out for the long term, it leaves Slot potentially down to just two fit senior centre-backs in the form of captain Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez. In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also had successful international breaks, with Mac Allister scoring twice for Argentina in their 6-0 win over Puerto Rico and Szoboszlai netting an injury-time equaliser for Hungary against Portugal.
For Mac Allister, in particular, it would have been a confidence booster after falling short of the exceptional standards he established last season as the Reds stormed to the Premier League crown.
Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch formed Slot’s preferred midfield trio during his inaugural campaign at the helm and they were selected in his starting XI for the heartbreaking loss to Chelsea.
However, with £116million summer acquisition Florian Wirtz making an impact from the substitutes’ bench at Stamford Bridge, following his own challenging start to the campaign, it provides Slot with plenty to contemplate ahead of the encounter with the Red Devils.
Yet for ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, Mac Allister must be the player to step aside – and he also argues Curtis Jones should be benched. “I would say at the moment, I would go with Szobozslai and Gravenberch in the middle,” said Murphy, who netted 44 times and provided a further 41 assists in 249 outings across seven seasons on Merseyside.
“Two super athletic players who can cover lots of ground. And I’d put Wirtz ahead of them. Szobozslai can move towards the right and assist the full-back in defence when Mohamed Salah stays high because obviously he’s been given the license to not defend.
“That was pretty evident in the Chelsea match although I do feel he could have defended a bit more. I think the athleticism of those two is what Liverpool needs”
“It’s not that I’m not a fan of Mac Allister, I think he’s a fantastic player. Curtis Jones is terrific as well. But Mac Allister missing pre-season has affected him. He’s taking his time.
“You can see physically he’s not at the same level as he was last season and it’s inevitable when you’ve missed pre-season. It’s really tough to get that back. That would be my three at the moment. I’d let Wirtz play through it because I think the magic will come.
“I would have Szobozslai and Gravenberch behind him because they’re the two most athletic midfielders that we’ve got.”
Wirtz has yet to score or create a goal since signing for Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for what, at that point, had the potential to be a British transfer record.
That has led to much debate over the Germany international’s performances. But Murphy, a key member of Gerard Houllier’s treble-winning team in 2001, believes the scrutiny has gone over the top.
“When I was a midfielder, I used to look at whether I was creating chances for others,” said the former England international to Wettbasis.com. “If you’re doing that, you can’t control who converts them.
“The narrative has gone against Wirtz because the numbers which we’re obsessed with in this day and age aren’t helping him. I don’t see a long term issue with it.
“There is a small adaptation when you play a more creative player as a 10 rather than an athletic one like Szoboszlai. The biggest problem is when you don’t have the ball because Szoboszlai is pretty exceptional and unique with his ability to close down and get around the pitch. There’s not many like him.
“Long term we’ll benefit from having a more creative force in that role, especially when you’re playing low blocks and need moments of magic against them. That’s something I think will improve.
“I’ve been disappointed with the negativity around Wirtz. I mean when you come for that much money, I get it, but we’re seven games in. He’s 22 years old, coming to one of the biggest clubs in the world with huge expectations. More expectations on him than probably any of the others.
“I’m not concerned. I’m a big fan of his and he just needs a big moment. If he has the Szoboszlai moment (against Arsenal), this goes away.
“I think the Liverpool supporters as a group, will get behind him and support him and we’ll see the best of him.”