Paul Merson urges Arne Slot to make big Darwin Nunez decision for Liverpool game vs Wolves
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that Liverpool should leave Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz OUT of its starting team to face Wolves this weekend, with head coach Arne Slot facing some big decisions.
"In terms of forwards, they are blessed in that department," Merson wrote in his Sportskeeda column. "Not only will they score a lot of goals, but they will spread it out among themselves over the course of the season. This can also be a headache for Slot and sometimes it’s not a good thing because he has to keep all of them happy with playing time.
"I’d personally go with Cody Gakpo alongside Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah for this game. I think Gakpo is playing with a lot of confidence and he just gives you something more than the other options."
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Liverpool is likely to go with Diaz off the left with Jota being the favorite to play down the middle. Salah is then near-certain to play on the right-hand side as he usually does.
"That's the positive thing about playing so many games; these players will always play a lot of games," Slot said during his Friday press conference. "I think they understand they can't play every game unless it's absolutely necessary to keep them fit and sharp and to keep them ready to perform like they do.
"As long as they accept the situation as it is — and that is what they are doing at the moment because they have good numbers and I see them smile a lot as well — then it's a very positive thing for us. That's also one of the things of my job – I have to keep them alert and happy in the position they are in."
Liverpool.com says: It would be a surprise if Diaz didn't start given the form that he is in. He has a better goalscoring record than Gakpo even though both are looking good at the moment. It would be a shock, too, to see Nunez in the team. Jota looked great midweek and he sat out the Bournemouth victory, meaning he should be able to go again against his former club.