Liverpool face a tactical puzzle as they visit Newcastle United at St James' Park on Monday night, looking to maintain their perfect start as reigning Premier League champions. The Reds triumphed in a six-goal thriller against Bournemouth last week but now confront injury concerns that could force manager Arne Slot into creative solutions.
Slot faces a significant dilemma at right-back with first-choice Jeremie Frimpong ruled out until after the international break with a hamstring injury. The Dutch manager admitted he may need to deploy players out of position, with Wataru Endo or Dominik Szoboszlai emerging as potential makeshift options.
Injury concerns mount
Joe Gomez remains a fitness doubt despite an impressive 20-minute cameo against Bournemouth. Slot revealed the defender hasn't been able to complete three consecutive training sessions with the team, highlighting ongoing fitness concerns.
"I wouldn't say he had a setback but he wasn't able to train three days in a row completely with the team," Slot told reporters. "Which is completely normal if you're out for so long and all of a sudden the manager needs you for 20 minutes."
Tactical solutions emerge
Endo could be deployed at full-back to allow Szoboszlai to operate in his preferred midfield role against Newcastle's physical midfield. The Hungary international dropped deeper against Bournemouth but may return to the number 10 position with Ryan Gravenberch back from suspension.
This tactical reshuffle could see summer signing Florian Wirtz start on the bench, while Liverpool's front three of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike remain unchanged. Only the Mirror reports five potential solutions for the right-back problem, including Curtis Jones as an additional option.
Match details
Liverpool visit St James' Park at 8pm BST on Monday, with the match broadcast live on Sky Sports. Newcastle will look to exploit their home advantage against champions who have started the season in emphatic fashion.
The predicted Liverpool XI features Alisson in goal, with Endo potentially filling the problematic right-back slot alongside Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez in defence.
Sources used: "Evening Standard", "Mirror", "Chronicle Live"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
