Right-back will again be the biggest concern for Arne Slot as Liverpool look to get their form back on track with the visit of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
The Reds dropped to 12th in the Premier League on Monday night as Everton beat Man United 1-0 at Old Trafford to move above their city rivals.
It only plunged Slot and his side into further depths as they struggle for any form or fluency in recent months, losing eight of their last 11 games.
Last time out in the Champions League was a different story: beating Real Madrid 1-0 at Anfield and producing arguably the strongest performance of the season.
Slot will be hoping for more of that when familiar foes PSV arrive at Anfield – but the head coach is again facing selection issues.
Liverpool Team News vs. PSV: Injuries & Confirmed Squad
Liverpool trained in front of the cameras at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday afternoon, with 20 outfield players involved:
• Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley remain out
• Giovanni Leoni not available after season-ending ACL injury
• Full-backs Calvin Ramsay and James Norris not eligible for Champions League
• Joe Gomez involved in session but required painkilling injection last week
Liverpool squad training for PSV
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Pecsi
Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Robertson, Kerkez, Ramsay*, Norris*
Midfielders: Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Endo, Nyoni
Forwards: Salah, Ekitike, Isak, Gakpo, Chiesa, Ngumoha, Gordon
* Ineligible for Champions League
Liverpool Predicted XI vs. PSV Eindhoven
The most likely lineup against PSV would mean three changes to the side from Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
If fit enough Gomez is expected to come in at right-back, while Andy Robertson is poised to take over from Milos Kerkez at left-back.
The absence of Wirtz could then see Dominik Szoboszlai deployed as the most advanced midfielder as part of the regular trio alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister
And with Alexander Isak again struggling after starting against Forest, Hugo Ekitike should replace him up front.
That would see the following XI at Anfield:
Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike
However there are other options for Slot to consider, including:
• Gomez replacing Ibrahima Konate at centre-back
• Curtis Jones moving to right-back
• Slot starting both Ekitike and Isak
• Federico Chiesa being given an opportunity in attack
But despite the outside calls for major changes – particularly at centre-back with concerns over Konate’s form – it seems more likely that Slot will largely keep faith with his side.
With both Bradley and Frimpong sidelined for a number of weeks, though, the way he manages his right-back situation will be particularly interesting.
For what it’s worth, Gomez’s most recent start in the Champions League came at centre-back: keeping a clean sheet in last season’s 1-0 victory over Girona as partner to Van Dijk.