Darwin Nunez will be pressing to start in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Anfield
The list of players injured for Liverpool’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest this weekend appears familiar.
Andy Robertson, the Scotland captain, sustained a shoulder injury during the previous international break while playing against Spain in a Euro 2024 qualifier, thus the Reds will be without their key left-back for Sunday’s match at Anfield.
Initially, it was anticipated that Robertson would need surgery.
This week, his operation was finished, and he is now starting his rehabilitation, but it is not yet certain when he would be able to resume his activities.
Reverse In Liverpool’s Merseyside derby victory over Everton last weekend, Kostas Tsimikas filled in at left defense, while Luke Chambers, a teenager, started the team’s 5-1 Europa League defeat of Toulouse on Thursday.
Fellow youngster Callum Scanlon also got minutes in that game, while Jurgen Klopp has also namechecked Joe Gomez as a potential left-back option if required.
But it should be Tsimikas who starts there again on Sunday, with a mostly unchanged XI expected from last weekend’s derby after Liverpool’s European exploits.
The likes of Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic are still out injured, while youngster Ben Doak has also been sidelined of late and Curtis Jones serves the final match of his suspension this weekend.
The back five and midfield trio seem pretty set, but the only alterations from Klopp could come with who joins Mohamed Salah in the front three with the Egyptian having broken Thierry Henry’s 18-year record on Thursday as the Premier League player with the most-ever European goals for one club.
Salah got a last-gasp goal in a 20-minute cameo against Toulouse but will surely start again here, with Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota having led the line in the Europa League.
Nunez generally impressed with a goal against Toulouse along with an incredible miss that was thankfully finished off the post by Ryan Gravenberch, while he also had a late assist for Salah off the bench last weekend.
He could be given the chance to shine from the off against Forest, with Jota potentially dropping to the bench for now with Luis Diaz having tellingly been given the night off on Thursday.
If Klopp was to make a change in midfield then perhaps Gravenberch could have a breather after back-to-back starts this week, but he has been in sparkling form and didn’t play the full 90 minutes in either game so will likely continue alongside fellow impactful summer signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
The rest of the defence picks itself alongside Robertson’s deputy Tsimikas, with captain Virgil van Dijk partnered by Ibrahima Konate in the middle and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right, in front of No1 Alisson Becker.
Predicted Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
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