Liverpool will aim to mount a comeback and secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals when they welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Anfield for the quarter-final second leg on Tuesday night. Arne Slot has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The Dutch tactician has been sweating over Curtis Jones’s fitness after the English midfielder went off due to a groin injury in the Premier League clash with Fulham this past weekend. The issue was seemingly minor, as the homegrown prospect is fit and available to take on PSG.
However, Alisson Becker (hamstring), Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), and Wataru Endo (ankle) remain in the treatment room. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Slot did not provide a fitness update on any player but discussed his team’s approach to the upcoming clash.
The Liverpool head coach said, “I think we have to find the perfect balance between being offensive. But to be offensive you need to have the ball and to get the ball back. So, that’s why the history of this club and at other clubs you’ve seen players that are very good offensively but are also able to do the defensive job, because the only way to score is if you have the ball.”
“The thing is that tomorrow two teams are facing each other [and] both would like to have the ball a lot. The last time we faced each other, they had the ball for 76 per cent of the time, so that’s the first thing we have to change tomorrow – to have the ball more. And if we have it more then it’s nice to have attacking threat on the pitch and that’s what we will have tomorrow.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili will deputise for Alisson Becker between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against PSG on Tuesday. The backline will feature Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the double pivot, with Florian Wirtz reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for the home side against PSG, with Mohamed Salah and Rio Ngumoha being the two wide attackers for the Reds. So, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Federico Chiesa will be among the backup options on the bench.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Ekitike
