Liverpool travel to Selhurst Park for the early Saturday lunchtime kick off against a Crystal Palace side that have suffered a woeful start to their Premier League campaign.
We already know that the Reds are sure to be without the match winner from last season’s trip to South London, with Harvey Elliott still sidelined with the foot fracture which has not seen him feature for Liverpool since a brief cameo from the bench in the 2-0 win against Brentford in August.
READ MORE: Liverpool yet to be tested and Arne Slot’s season starts NOW
The only other injury concern of note is that of summer signing Federico Chiesa. An unused substitute in the Reds’ trip to Wolves last weekend, the Italian was said to have picked up an issue in training prior to Liverpool’s Champions League victory over Bologna for which he was absent.
Chiesa will be assessed prior to Saturday, but otherwise Arne Slot is thought to have a full squad from whom to select his starting line-up. Early suggestions are that it will remain unchanged from the last Premier League game against Wolves given Slot’s decision to start Darwin Nunez against Bologna, thought to be part of a plan not to overwork first choice striker Diogo Jota.
Diaz dropped
However, one change that Slot could make is to bring in Cody Gakpo for Luis Diaz. Both wingers have been in brilliant form so far this season and have been dangerous going forward.
Diaz has been the usual first-choice option but with the Colombia star set to travel for games against Bolivia and Chile during the upcoming break, now seems like an opportune time to give him a rest – especially considering Liverpool’s fixtures after the international break get more difficult.
READ MORE: Darwin Nunez Liverpool future under THREAT following Bologna blank
Liverpool predicted XI:
Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Diogo Jota.
Crystal Palace team news
As for the home side, Palace head into the weekend languishing in the relegation zone, as they remain one of the Premier League’s five winless sides this season.
Despite a fantastic finish to last season’s campaign, they are now stories emerging of discontent within the Palace dressing room. According to a story in the Daily Mail, star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was left “angered” by manager Oliver Glasner’s decision to substitute him at half time of their recent 0-0 draw with Manchester United.
Mateta was left on the pitch for the full 90 minutes of Palace’s 2-1 loss to Everton last weekend, so it would be expected that despite these reports he will feature against Liverpool this coming Saturday lunchtime.
Further discontent surrounds Rob Holding’s situation at Selhurst Park, with the former Arsenal defender banished from the first team under Glasner and completely absent from Palace’s squad photo for the season as well as now not even featuring in their most recent U-21 squad.
In terms of injuries for Palace, they will be without defender Chris Richards who has a hamstring issue as well as midfielder and one-time Liverpool target Cheick Doucoure, who has a tendon issue. Summer signing Chadi Riad is continuing to recover from a knee injury but attacking midfielder Matheus Franca is reported to be back in training and could well be a part of Palace’s matchday squad.
Diaz DROPPED, Chiesa injury – Predicted Liverpool lineup vs Crystal Palace3 mins ago
Richard Hughes’ PERSONAL scouting trip for Salah replacement49 mins ago
Thiago CURSE explains Liverpool’s only loss of the season2 hours ago
