Injury RISK taken, major midfield SWAP: Predicted Liverpool lineup vs Bayer Leverkusen

Here's our predicted lineup for Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool face another crunch fixture as they host Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League. It's Arne Slot vs Xabi Alonso - the two up-and-coming managers will pit their XIs against one another for the first time.

Slot has a difficult challenge with that as Liverpool continue to negotiate a tough run of fixtures. Here are the big decisions and what we expect to happen.

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Do Liverpool risk Konate?

Ibrahima Konate went off injured against Brighton at the weekend and while he's apparently 'completely recovered', it's still only just a few days out. It feels like an opportunity to rotate and take absolutely zero risks.

We have half a suspicion that Slot will just start the Frenchman, though. He's quite plainly first-choice alongside Virgil van Dijk right now and Liverpool will surely want their strongest XI out there.

If Konate is fine, he'll go in - with perhaps a bit of rotation at the weekend.

Battling in midfield

Leverkusen pack the middle of the pitch and Liverpool will need a lot of energy in there to combat it. Fortunately, they have that in spades.

Curtis Jones appears likely to start, given he didn't against Brighton but came on to bag an assist for the winner. He was also just excellent and has been consistently of late.

Ryan Gravenberch also starts - no doubt there - but who's the third? Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are the two options.

We think it'll be Mac Allister, who offers more solidity against the Leverkusen numbers. Liverpool can't afford to let Florian Wirtz get too much freedom.

Same old question

Mo Salah: yes. Darwin Nunez: yes. So should it be Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz?

That's been the question in every lineup all season and it reoccurs here. The trick is usually to just go with the one who didn't start last time.

That would be Diaz and yeah, we imagine Slot will start the Colombian over Gakpo here.

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