Liverpool will be hoping to tighten their grip on a spot in the Premier League’s top five when they travel to face Manchester United on Sunday at 3:30pm.
The Reds’ title defence may have been poor, but they stand in very good stead of securing Champions League football for next season. They sit eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton and Hove Albion with four games left to play.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Man Utd
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.
Arne Slot’s men go into this game in good form too. After a slight stutter, the Reds have won their past three league games, including a last-gasp victory in the recent Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Liverpool also have fond memories of Old Trafford, winning three of their last five trips to the Theatre of Dreams.
Liverpool team news vs Man Utd
The big news for Liverpool is surrounding Mo Salah. The Egyptian came off injured in Liverpool’s win over Crystal Palace last weekend and it was feared that he’ll be out for the remainder of the season.
But Slot has revealed Salah is expected to return before the campaign is up, giving him a chance for an actual farewell before he leaves. This game is likely to be too soon, though. Rio Ngumoha will be champing at the bit to take his moment, looking to become Salah’s long-term replacement.
Liverpool are also missing Hugo Ekitike from their attacking quartet, so Alexander Isak is expected to continue in leading the line. Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz should make up the rest of the attack.
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The good news for Liverpool is that Alisson looks set to return. The Brazilian has missed Liverpool’s last four league games, and his replacement Giorgi Mamardashvili has also picked up an injury. Freddie Woodman has done well in their stead, but Alisson’s return will be a big boost.
There is the question of who will start at right-back. Curtis Jones has been deputising there of late, but Dominik Szoboszlai could potentially drop down from the midfield. That would allow Ryan Gravenberch to partner Alexis Mac Allister.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will remain the starting centre-back pairing. Liverpool are still without the likes of Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo and Conor Bradley.
Can Ngumoha replace Salah?
A lot of eyes will be on Rio Ngumoha this weekend. He’s likely to replace Salah in the starting XI, and he’ll want to prove that Liverpool don’t need to look into the market for a long-term alternative.
The teenager has been exciting to watch whenever he’s been on the pitch for Liverpool. But there will be a lot of responsibilities post-Salah. And there’s a difference between coming off the bench against tired legs and impacting a game from the start. There are promising signs for Ngumoha, though.
Even when consider the state of games when he enters the pitch, and a smaller sample size for minutes, Ngumoha posts good numbers. He looks to take shots on often, but also creates chances. That’s the kind of skill that Salah possessed at his peak. You couldn’t stop Salah, because he could impact games in more ways that one.
Ngumoha is also tricky on the ball, with an excellent take-on success rate as well as general completed numbers. He’ll only get better the more time he gets on the pitch.