Liverpool's Bold Gamble: Slot Unveils Szoboszlai's Replacement as Reds Face Sunderland—Team News and Starting XI Revealed
Liverpool aim to recover from their weekend disappointment but must navigate a challenging away fixture at Sunderland on Wednesday evening.
Their dramatic collapse against Manchester City proved devastating to watch and significantly damaged their prospects of securing Champions League football for the following campaign. They now need to accomplish what no Premier League team has managed this season - claim victory at the Stadium of Light to revive their ambitions.
Considering their extensive injury list and unavailable players, Arne Slot's depleted roster will face a stern examination from the rapid fixture schedule as they seek to prevent additional disappointment.
Match Snapshot
Match Snapshot
Team News
Team News
After scoring another spectacular free kick during the weekend, Dominik Szoboszlai was subsequently dismissed in the chaotic closing stages at Anfield. He must sit out the one-match ban against Sunderland, creating a concerning shortage at right-back for Liverpool.
The Hungarian midfielder had been effectively deputizing for the sidelined Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez in that position, but his unavailability presents Slot with a significant dilemma. Gomez remains the sole player from that group who might feature against Sunderland, though Slot appeared pessimistic about this prospect, with Wataru Endo or Curtis Jones potentially competing for the right-back position instead.
Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined in central defense while Alexander Isak will not make the journey to the North East as he continues his recovery from a fractured leg.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Sunderland (4-2-3-1)
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Sunderland (4-2-3-1)
GK: Alisson—Responsible for conceding City's decisive late penalty, Alisson needs to respond with a commanding display against a Sunderland team that performs exceptionally well on home turf.
RB: Curtis Jones—With Gomez appearing doubtful to feature against Sunderland, Jones could serve as Slot's makeshift option at right-back. Both Jürgen Klopp and his current boss have occasionally deployed him in this position.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—Konaté excelled against Sunderland's local rivals Newcastle United recently and will look to produce another composed showing amid considerable pressure.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—Van Dijk confronts a demanding duel with his national team colleague Brian Brobbey, who has been performing exceptionally for the Black Cats in recent months.
LB: Andy Robertson—Milos Kerkez wasn't responsible for Liverpool's Sunday meltdown, but Slot might choose to make changes at left-back, potentially bringing Robertson back into the starting lineup.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—Though performing below his exceptional previous season's level, Gravenberch deserves understanding given his excessive workload in Liverpool's imbalanced squad.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister—The Argentine has featured in Liverpool's last five fixtures while desperately trying to recapture his best form. His efforts to achieve this have been largely fruitless thus far.
RW: Mohamed Salah—Sunday's match again highlighted Salah's significant regression. The Egyptian showed flashes of brilliance but these moments occur too rarely. Regrettably for Slot, no viable right-wing alternatives exist.
AM: Florian Wirtz—Failed to produce his usual brilliance against City as he faded into the background. Liverpool require an authoritative and creative performance from their primary orchestrator against Sunderland's typically resolute defense.
LW: Cody Gakpo—Strong arguments exist for introducing Federico Chiesa or Rio Ngumoha in place of the struggling Gakpo, who delivered another disappointing weekend performance. Nevertheless, Slot continues to back his fellow Dutchman inexplicably.
ST: Hugo Ekitiké—Liverpool have depended heavily on the developing connection between Ekitiké and Wirtz recently, and they desperately need this partnership to shine at the Stadium of Light.