Arne Slot could have a fully fit Liverpool squad to choose from when the Reds return to action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday
Arne Slot has made minimal changes to his Liverpool side since the season got underway last month.
Sure, a couple of his substitutions have made headlines, but for the majority he has been rewarded for sticking with the tried and trusted. Since Ibrahima Konate came on for Jarell Quansah at half-time in the Reds’ opening day victory over Ipswich Town, the Dutchman’s first-choice XI has emerged with the back five picking itself.
Ryan Gravenberch has made the number six role his own, while Dominik Szoboszlai has so far seen off the challenge of Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota has emerged as Liverpool’s starting striker.
Meanwhile, the likes of Elliott, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez are having to remain patient for opportunities. With the start of Liverpool’s midweek matches courtesy of the Champions League and League Cup following this month, Slot will likely start rotating more often, with chances for more players to start.
But it has been a case of so far, so good for the Reds’ new head coach with his side currently sitting second in the Premier League table, behind reigning champions Man City on goals scored alone, having won all three of their matches to date without conceding a goal.
And in contrast to much of Jurgen Klopp’s reign, they have predominantly avoided injury so far too. Curtis Jones is the only first team player to have been sidelined, missing victories over Brentford and Manchester United, though summer signing Federico Chiesa also sat out the 3-0 win at Old Trafford due to a lack of match fitness.
However, the pair are on track to be in contention for Liverpool’s home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday when they return to club action after the international break.
While there is a small question mark over Alexis Mac Allister’s availability as he battles injury while still representing Argentina, and Elliott withdrew from the England Under-21s squad in order to receive ‘further medical assessment’ back at Anfield, it is possible that Slot could have his full squad to choose from this weekend.But that provides a headache of its own for the Dutchman.
Liverpool boast arguably 22 players who are vying for starting places in Slot’s starting XI, with Tyler Morton, Trey Nyoni and Vitezslav Jaros making up the rest of his first team squad.Yet he can only select 20 players for Premier League action. Therefore, if everyone is fit to face Forest, the Dutchman will have to leave out two unfortunate players.He has already found himself in such a position once this season, with Joe Gomez not travelling to Ipswich as a result.
But that was in part due to the uncertainty around his future amid the possibility of the defender leaving the club before the transfer window closes.With Jones then sidelined, it is a dilemma Slot avoided against both Brentford and Manchester United.
But now adding Chiesa to the mix, he has some tough decisions to make.Klopp’s man-management skills are well-documented, with the German one of the best in the business in terms of handling his squad.
While there were times when senior players were left out of his matchday squad, there was never any public discontent.In the past, versatility played a big part in Klopp’s decision-making when it came to naming his substitutes.
But with the arrival of Slot acting as a clean slate for his inherited squad, Liverpool’s clash with Forest could offer a further insight into the Dutchman’s thinking in terms of the Reds’ pecking order, having barely had to tweak his side so far in his brief Anfield reign to date.
