Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa could soon get Liverpool chance as Arne Slot faces next test
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has some big decisions to make as he attempts to manage his roster in the next few weeks. Before the next international break arrives in October, there are another six matches to play.
Having gotten off to the best possible start in the Champions League against AC Milan midweek with a comfortable win, the attention has now turned to the Premier League visit of Bournemouth next weekend. And after that, West Ham United comes to Anfield in the Carabao Cup.
The schedule is relentless and that will be a new challenge for a coach who is not used to the English calendar. There will be two matches per week almost every week until May if things go as planned for Slot in his debut campaign.
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Liverpool will need to keep things fresh as a result. Kostas Tsimikas came into the starting XI for the trip to Milan but Andy Robertson should return to the line-up Saturday. Jarell Quansah could change things up at center-back but the bigger changes could be saved for the Carabao Cup clash that comes four days later.
Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones should be eyeing at least the majority of the 90 minutes against West Ham next Wednesday but Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are the likeliest trio for Bournemouth. Tyler Morton is the only other senior option fit at the moment because of Harvey Elliott's absence and he could also get some domestic cup minutes.
In the attack, the only real decision for the weekend is whether it is Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo playing down the left flank. Slot revealed after AC Milan that the initial plan was for it to be Gakpo against Nottingham Forest last weekend before the Dutchman came back from international duty with fatigue.
That could hint that he will get the nod at Anfield but Diaz has been in great form lately. Mohamed Salah will be on the right and Diogo Jota is almost certain to be central with Darwin Nunez yet to make much of an impact this season. In that likely scenario, the West Ham game could be massive for the Uruguayan to get an opportunity.
Federico Chiesa, like Endo and Jones, should be eyeing up the Carabao Cup game as a chance to come into the team and get some rhythm too. He could play in that match alongside Nunez and either Gakpo or Diaz — likely the one that doesn't start vs Bournemouth.