Darwin Nunez is suspended for the next three Premier League games after receiving a red card against Crystal Palace....CONTINUE READING
Diogo Jota will be out for at least four more weeks as he recovers from an injury suffered in the preseason. Roberto Firmino missed last night’s game with a knock and as of now, there is very little chance of him being able to play against Manchester United next week.
For the first time in perhaps forever, Jurgen Klopp has no forward to complete his usual three-man attack. While Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will obviously start, here are three options Klopp can use against the Red Devils.
Option 1: Elliott right wing, Salah central
We saw Harvey Elliott playing very advanced on the right wing last night. He starts off as a right midfielder but spends more time in the opponent’s half than his own.
While Salah is best used as a winger with his ability to cut in and find a pass, his record as a centre-forward is amazing – as per Transfermarkt, he has played 38 games in that position and has scored 30 goals with 11 assists!
Option 2: Trent as false 9
The most surprising part about Nunez’s sending-off was how Liverpool were playing afterwards – Trent Alexander-Arnold was the false 9 for almost half an hour!
Trent has never played that role before and frankly, he did not really play very well there. His ideal position is still the right back or even a right winger.
However, using him in the centre certainly will address some creative issues we have with the midfield also facing an injury crisis. This will also enable Ellitot to move ahead and Salah to move centrally with Trent playing passes from both the ride side and centre field.
It will certainly be an interesting experiment if Klopp goes through with this.
Option 3: 4-4-2 formation
Liverpool don’t use the 4-4-2 formation at all, having played with three forwards for 99% of Klopp’s reign. However, circumstances are beyond the manager’s control now.
Elliott had a good game as the right-sided midfielder and it makes sense to keep him there. Naby Keita can come in on the left side.
This formation will not be as rigid as shown above, as Liverpool players often interchange positions with the game. Elliott goes central, Salah moves wide, Robertson comes up to let Diaz play centrally – there are certainly some interesting tweaks Klopp can make in-game.
