Liverpool face Fulham in the Premier League and Arne Slot could again be without a natural right-back.

The 246th Merseyside derby will chiefly be remembered for two things.

If supporters from both sides of the city are asked about their memories down the line, they’re likely to highlight the contentious referring decisions. Even Everton boss David Moyes has admitted James Tarkowski should have been sent-off for his tackle on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister. The defender received just a yellow card and survived a VAR review. The PGMOL has subsequently admitted that VAR referee Paul Tierney should have told on-field official Sam Barrott to review his decision and recommend giving Tarkowski a red card.

The other moment was the Reds’ 57th-minute goal. It was a fine finish from Diogo Jota but Everton were adamant Luis Diaz had been interfering with play when in an offside position in the build-up.

But if Kopites are also quizzed on anything else that stood out in the future, they may recollect the performance of Curtis Jones. The 24-year-old midfielder was asked to operate as a makeshift right-back, which he did with aplomb. Amid an ongoing crisis in the position, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez all injured, the Toxteth lad came to the fore. It’ll be a Merseyside derby that Jones will personally hold in high esteem along with scoring the winner of the famous fixture aged 18.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot unsurprisingly saluted Jones for his willingness to play out of his favoured position. Slot said: “He has a skill set that he can defend, he can attack and that’s why he can play in so many positions. And he has this mentality [that] if you give him a challenge, he likes to be challenged and yesterday was a challenge for him because it wasn’t his normal position.

“Some players hate a challenge, they like to stay in their comfort zone, but Curtis is the type of player that wants to be challenged if you challenge him. If you tell him he is playing against the best English midfielder under 21 or something like this, and I want to see how you do against that, then he is up for the challenge. I didn’t ask him to stand up against [Abdoulaye] Doucoure after the away game but he likes those challenges as well!

“So, good to have him. Now it’s up to him [so] if I play him again on Sunday that it’s not, ‘One time show yourself,’ because consistency is the thing what brings you from good to great and that is now, if I play him again, what he has to show on Sunday.”

After such a stellar performance, players would usually be a nye-on certainty to keep their starting berth. But as Liverpool prepare to face Fulham tomorrow, Slot has a decision to make on Jones.

The England international featured on the right-hand side of defence to give the Reds more control in possession against Everton. Playing at Anfield, the onus was on the home side to pick the Blues’ lock and create chances. However, the Fulham fixture will be somewhat different.

The Cottagers are volatile as they come when it comes to results. This season, they have done the double over Nottingham Forest, delivered wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United and held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Anfield (albeit with Andy Robertson being sent off early in the game for the home side). Yet the Londoners have lost 4-1 at home to Wolves, drawn against basement-side Southampton and held twice to relegation-threatened Ipswich Town.

There is not a Liverpool supporter who thinks it will be an easy encounter, though, and Fulham’s strengths very much are in attack. Left-back Antonee Robinson is their main outlet marauding down the flank. Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe are potent threats, Adama Traore can cause bother for any defender and the wily Willian can make an impact.

Therefore, Slot may consider more solidity in his rearguard. Alexander-Arnold and Gomez will again miss out, while even if Bradley is able to return from a hamstring issue, he will be on the bench, having been absent for six weeks.

The Anfield supremo may want to shore up his backline. That could mean that Jarell Quansah is handed a return. The centre-back was given the nod against Newcastle United in the 2-1 Carabao Cup final defeat at Wembley. Quansah didn’t offer much going forward but, to his credit, he didn’t do much wrong the other way. Neither did Jones but against Everton, but Charly Alcaraz, who occupied the opposition’s left flank, is not a natural wide man and full-back Vitalii Mykolenko has one assist in 102 Premier League games. Robinson, in contrast, has engineered 10 goals alone this season for Fulham.

Liverpool will want Mo Salah to stay as high up the pitch as possible, so a more defensive-minded option would allow that. Of course, there is the possibility of Jones moving back to his favoured midfield. Slot’s chief trio in the middle of the park has been Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this campaign, though.

If the team sheet comes out and Jones is again in defence, there will not be a supporter who complains. Yet it is feasible that Slot makes a ruthless call and opts for Quansah.