Three days after a disappointing defeat to Tottenham, Liverpool are back in action against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur inflicted only their second defeat on Liverpool under Arne Slott in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, but there’s no time to talk about the result. Not only do the Reds have a huge Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on the horizon, but they also have to contend with matters in the third round of the FA Cup.
Their opponents, Accrington Stanley, sit in 19th place in League Two, giving Slott the perfect opportunity to rotate his preferred formation. While the likes of Mohamed Salah, Ryan Grafenbrech and Virgil van Dijk get a rest, bench players and even a few teenagers will get the chance to log significant minutes and prove their value to Slot.
The head coach announced that Jarrell Quansah is available for the match after leaving the first half against Tottenham due to illness. Dominik Szoboszlai also returned to training ahead of the match. The only other doubt for the Reds is Tyler Morton, who suffered an ankle injury in midweek. Joe Gomez is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Here’s what Liverpool’s line-up could look like against Accrington Stanley on January 11.
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Goalkeeper: Caoimhin Kelleher—Expect the Ireland international to make only his second appearance since Alisson’s return from injury.
RB: Connor BradleyBradley will look to perform better on the right flank than he did against Tottenham on Wednesday.
CB: Jarrell Quansah—As long as Kwansah fully recovers from the illness, he will receive approval alongside Endo. If he is only available to come on the bench, Ibrahima Konate or even 18-year-old Amara Nalou could start instead.
CB: Endo-With Liverpool’s centre-back options looking slim, Endo could once again fill that role after doing so for 70 minutes against Tottenham.
LB: Andy Robertson– Robertson missed the Carabao Cup semi-final, making him the obvious choice for Saturday’s match.
DM: Tyler MortonThe 22-year-old impressed in two Carabao Cup starts for the Reds and will get another chance to prove his worth against Slot as long as the ankle injury he suffered does not keep him out of action.
DM: Tri-Nyony—The exciting 17-year-old is set to make his fourth appearance for the Reds.
RW: Federico ChiesaChiesa’s time at Liverpool did not go as planned, but the winger got a rare opportunity to score for the first time in a red shirt.
AM: Harvey Elliott– Elliott scored the winner for Liverpool on his last start and should have no problem exploiting a leaky Accrington defence.
Left wing: Luis Diaz– After playing just 30 minutes against Tottenham, Diaz was able to bring his experience and speed into a makeshift attack.
ST: Darwin Nunez– With a suspension looming over the Uruguayan’s performances in the Premier League, Nunez will lead the line in the FA Cup.
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