Liverpool will look to finish their Premier League season on a high note when they go to Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break in October.
After a week of VAR analysis and requests for replays in the aftermath of the unfair 2-1 loss to Tottenham, the Reds weren’t at their flowing best on Thursday night as a much-changed squad overcame Union Saint-Gilloise.
In addition to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota being suspended for Sunday’s excursion to the beach due to red cards, Cody Gakpo sustained a knee injury in that game.
With his club sitting in fourth place in the Premier League, manager Jurgen Klopp may send out the following lineup versus Brighton.
Lineup (4-3-3) expected from Liverpool vs Brighton.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker made his first appearance for Liverpool in the Europa League because Caoimhin Kelleher was injured.
Right defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is questionable to return to the league XI after Joe Gomez started in his place against Union Saint-Gilloise and commanded the team in his captain’s absence due to injury.
Center back Joel Matip had an otherwise excellent game ruined by an own goal that handed Spurs the win. Matip formerly played for Schalke.
Central defender Virgil van Dijk was back to being the imperious force he is against Tottenham, while also setting up a goal for Gakpo to make it 1-1.
Alexander: Andy Robertson, LBBoth Arnold and Robertson have impressive assist totals, but Scotland’s international is still without a helper in the current league season.
Moderator: Dominik Szoboszlai – Szoboszlai’s 83.6 km of Premier League mileage is greater than any other player. Wow, you ran a lot there.
On Thursday night’s Europa League play, Alexis Mac Allister, the team’s central midfielder, avoided a fight with his brother Kevin.
With Jones banned, Ryan Gravenberch, who joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in the summer and scored his first goal for the club only a few days ago, might make his league debut in central midfield.
Even if he played somewhat restrained in Liverpool’s loss to Spurs, right winger Mohamed Salah is still the Reds’ most dangerous offensive player in the final third.
ST: Darwin Nunez – With Gakpo out and Jota suspended, Nunez is guaranteed to make his third league start of the season at this position. Scored twice in the comeback victory over Newcastle.
Diaz, Luis, L.W. If his goal against Tottenham hadn’t been incorrectly disallowed, he wouldn’t have gone scoreless in the league for the first time in four games. We’re talking up to five matches, instead.