Arne Slot has indicated that Joe Gomez will probably be accessible for Liverpool’s Champions League fixture towards PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night time.
Even with right-backs Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong sidelined via damage, the 28-year-old was an unused substitute within the Reds’ 3-0 defeat at house to Nottingham Forest final weekend, with midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai as a substitute beginning on the right-hand facet of defence.
Excluding two full runouts within the Carabao Cup, our longest-serving present participant has solely had 58 minutes of game-time this season, being left to depend on a smattering of substitute appearances (Transfermarkt).
Slot confirms Joe Gomez availability for PSV conflict
Slot addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon in his pre-match press convention forward of the PSV conflict tomorrow, and he was requested concerning the availability of Gomez for the go to of the Dutch champions.
The LFC head coach replied (through Liverpool Echo): “He is without doubt one of the 5 defenders now we have. He had an injection final week within the knee; it’s not regular for those who don’t really feel something.
“Aside from me making the choice to play Dom in that place, it’s additionally to do with Joe not being utterly match. He’s within the group tomorrow however wasn’t in a position to practice each single day final week.”
If Gomez doesn’t play now, when will he?
Privately, Gomez should really feel that if he isn’t taking part in now with Liverpool having so many defenders sidelined via damage, when will he be given a correct likelihood beneath Slot? Paul Joyce rightly posed that very query in latest days.
Plainly the pinnacle coach didn’t need to threat him towards Forest resulting from that knee concern, however not less than the 28-year-old has been handed match for the PSV recreation. Whether or not or not he’s included from the beginning is the burning query between now and when the line-ups are introduced 75 minutes earlier than kick-off.
Szoboszlai seems to be extra trusted to begin at right-back than the Reds’ quantity 2, regardless of the latter having much more expertise in that place all through his profession (104 video games in comparison with the Hungarian’s 5).
Regardless of the 25-year-old proving to be extremely adaptable and versatile, we’d a lot relatively see him in his normal attacking midfield berth, particularly if Florian Wirtz is dominated out – the German didn’t partake in coaching at present and appears to be an damage doubt for tomorrow night time.
Ought to Slot deploy our quantity 8 in his customary place, that ought to pave the way in which for Gomez to come back into the group at right-back, and the Londoner has put in some fantastic performances with the sporadic game-time that he’s had this season.
In our view, he deserves to be within the beginning XI towards PSV, particularly with so many defenders unavailable to the Reds boss.
