View: Jota, Szoboszlai axed – Liverpool predicted XI v AC Milan
Arne Slot will be looking to bounce back after the shock loss to Nottingham Forest on the weekend when Liverpool face AC Milan in the Champions League.
Nottingham Forest stunned the Reds on Saturday [14 September], winning 1-0 at Anfield courtesy of Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Liverpool will look to recover from the defeat on the weekend with the return of Champions League football and a trip to AC Milan in the first league phase fixture of the competition.
Arne Slot to make four changes for Liverpool
Alisson learned a valuable lesson at the weekend as he had little to deal with against Nottingham Forest, but was powerless to stop Hudson-Odoi’s strike finding the far corner. While there was little he could do, the Brazilian will be eager to avoid a similar fate in Milan and will be expected to start at San Siro.
Conor Bradley must accept the blame for his role in the defeat versus Forest. It was a stark reminder that despite his glowing performances last season there is still much the young full-back needs to learn. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson should keep their place for the return of Champions League football and will be tasked with keeping Rafael Leao in particular quiet on the night.
Virgil van Dijk should always be on the teamsheet and will be expected to start. There will be plenty of opportunities throughout the season to rest the Dutchman but the Reds need to make a winning start in the Champions League. Ibrahima Konate, however, given his injury record, needs to be managed and Jarell Quansah should return to the side after his half-time substitution against Ipswich Town. He can then stake a claim for the next Premier League match against Bournemouth.
Dominik Szoboszlai reverted to type against Nottingham Forest with a string of under-hit and misguided passes that broke down many Liverpool attacking moves. Ryan Gravenberch played further up the pitch in the final 20 minutes at Anfield and, with Curtis Jones still not fully match-fit and Harvey Elliott injured, the Dutchman should slot in on the right of the midfield three with Wataru Endo coming in as the anchor.
Alexis Mac Allister provided the spark for the Reds in the midfield and was unlucky that his display of passing at Anfield did not result in a goal for his side. The Argentine needs to start against AC Milan and will be expected to build on his performance on the weekend.
A return to Italy would have been the perfect opportunity for Federico Chiesa to earn his first Liverpool start. However, the Italian was missing from the matchday squad over the weekend, and despite Mohamed Salah looking nowhere near the Salah that the Reds supporters all know and love, he should be in the lineup.
Diogo Jota was poor again, failing to make any sort of impact against Nottingham Forest, and should lose his spot in the starting lineup. Darwin Nunez looked no better when he came on. However, the Uruguayan needs a run of games to get going and should get his first start against AC Milan.
Cody Gakpo should also get his chance. The forward showed his quality for the Netherlands at Euro 2024 but that form has since been missing in the Premier League. Luis Diaz has been exceptional but with a gruelling fixture schedule ahead, Slot needs to rotate his side whenever possible to compete on all fronts.
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