Alious
Liverpool’s defensive worries are set to continue into the midweek Premier League trip to Sunderland, with Arne Slot all but confirming that Joe Gomez is unlikely to feature.
The Reds are still licking their wounds after Sunday’s damaging 2–1 home defeat to Manchester City, a result that dented their hopes of securing Champions League football. That loss once again highlighted Liverpool’s lack of options at right-back, a problem that has become increasingly severe.
Against City, Slot was forced into another makeshift solution, deploying Dominik Szoboszlai in an unfamiliar defensive role due to the continued absences of Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Gomez. While the Hungarian midfielder produced a moment of brilliance with a superb free-kick, his positioning at right-back proved costly, as he was caught too deep while playing Bernardo Silva onside for City’s equaliser.
Attention now turns to Wednesday’s away trip to Sunderland, a daunting assignment given that the Black Cats remain unbeaten at home in the league this season. Speaking ahead of the match, Slot admitted that Frimpong is definitely ruled out and strongly suggested Gomez will also miss the encounter.
“Jeremie for sure not. We knew when he got injured that it would take a few weeks,” Slot explained. “To be honest, I don’t expect Joe to be back either, but you never know. And even if he is back after being out for three weeks, would you play him straight away? That’s the decision I have to make. We do have other players who can play there. Dom played very well in that position, but unfortunately he’s unavailable for Wednesday.”
Szoboszlai’s late red card against City means he is suspended, further complicating Liverpool’s selection issues and leaving Slot with a major headache at right-back.
With Gomez still sidelined, Curtis Jones appears the most natural candidate to step in, though it would again be a far-from-ideal solution for a side already stretched thin defensively. The upside is that it could allow Slot to keep the rest of his starting XI intact, provided he opts against further reshuffles.
Nevertheless, the challenge awaiting Liverpool at the Stadium of Light looks immense. The ongoing right-back crisis is doing little to ease the pressure, and another defeat could significantly amplify the growing calls for a change in the dugout.
Alious
