Liverpool has made just one change to its side for the Premier League game against Fulham on Sunday.
The Reds head into the match on the back of Arsenal dropping yet more points on Saturday, with the trip to Craven Cottage offering three of the 10 points required to win the 2024/25 title. But Fulham, a side still competing for a spot in Europe, managed to take points off Liverpool when the sides last met at Anfield in December.
The two big uncertainties heading into Sunday’s game surrounded the availability of Alisson and Conor Bradley, but neither start against Fulham. The former suffered a head injury during the recent international break and has not yet been deemed ready to play. Therefore, Caoimhin Kelleher starts again between the sticks, making his 11th league appearance of the season.
Bradley is named on the bench, and the injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez mean Curtis Jones starts at right-back, as he did against Everton on Wednesday night. The midfielder excelled in that role in the derby, but whether he’ll have such a straightforward game against the creative Antonee Robinson is another matter.
In midfield, Arne Slot has gone with his tried-and-trusted trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Mac Allister is fit despite the robust tackle he was on the receiving end of from James Tarkowski on Wednesday.
As for the offensive areas, Slot sticks with Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. The latter replaces Luis Diaz following Wednesday’s Merseyside derby.
As for Salah, he has provided two goals (either via goals or assists) in all of his last four Premier League away matches, but hasn’t found the back of the net in three successive matches and hasn’t scored from open play in six games.
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Despite that, Slot is predicting his main man will bounce back at Craven Cottage. “I think Mo has smiled less because we went out of the Champions League and we lost the final. It has nothing to do with not scoring a goal,” he said.
“For me it’s simple, sometimes the fixture list is more difficult than other periods of the season so you face Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle in a final and then a derby. He hasn’t scored in three – so that’s why he has to score on Sunday. Hopefully he will. Paris Saint-Germain is one of the best teams in Europe at the moment.”
Liverpool starting XI : Kelleher; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Gakpo.
Substitutes : Jaros, Tsimikas, Quansah, Bradley, Endo, Elliott, Chiesa, Nunez, Diaz.
