Arne Slot to omit four Liverpool players against Chelsea as Wataru Endo decision pondered
Liverpool face Chelsea in the Premier League and Arne Slot has some decisions when selecting his squad.
Arne Slot has confirmed that he will make changes to his starting line-up now that Liverpool have been confirmed Premier League champions.
The Reds claimed their 20th English championship last week after thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1. The celebrations went long into the night - and will continue when Arne Slot’s side face Chelsea this afternoon.
Slot has insisted he still wants to win the final four games, but he will hand chances to some of the players who have had less game-time than the regular starters. There will not be major switches to his starting XI at Stamford Bridge but there will be some tweaks. Players such as Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa will hope for minutes.
And travelling to west London, the Liverpool boss will have to omit several players from his squad. That is because Joe Gomez is the only senior player unavailable. The defender is nearing the end of his recovery from a serious hamstring injury. Conor Bradley was absent against Spurs but Slot confirmed he is likely to be back involved.
Therefore, there will be a quartet of Liverpool’s squad who miss out at Chelsea. Premier League rules permit only nine substitutes. One who is likely to miss is will be the third-choice goalkeeper Viteslav Jaros. Slot will still want strength in the goalkeeping department as Alisson Becker is likely to keep his spot and Caoimhin Kelleher on the bench.
Tyler Morton and James McConnell were both kept around the squad to provide cover for the midfield. Morton had hoped to depart in January but a shoulder injury prevented him from doing so. McConnell attracted interest but an eye-catching performance in a 3-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League was enough for Slot to believe he could add something to his options. The pair are again likely to miss out.
Meanwhile, a senior player may sit out. In truth, Slot could see it as an advantage to rest one of the players who have played week in, week out. Mo Salah will not want the respite as he chased the most goals and assists in a single Premier League season. The Anfield boss may also want his leader on the pitch Virgil van Dijk to continue.
It may be that one member of the engine room is given some respite. Ryan Gravenberch has started every league game and has been the linchpin. Alexis Mac Allister has also featured heavily throughout the campaign. Both players will be representing the Netherlands and Argentina respectively during qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Should it be Gravenberch then it could see Endo handed his maiden league start of the season. Dominik Szoboszlai has also featured profusely and his relentless pressing may see him deserving of the weekend off.
Centre-back Ibrahima Konate is another who could be considered to be handed a breather and Jarell Quansah could play from the outset against Chelsea.
Slot has previously admitted it’s a tough decision to have to leave out players on a match day. Given Liverpool’s situation, it will not be anywhere near as difficult this time around.