Why Mo Salah is not starting for Liverpool against West Ham as four changes made
Liverpool team confirmed to face West Ham United in the Premier League at the London Stadium.
Arne Slot has made four changes as Liverpool aim to arrest their wretched form against West Ham United.
The Reds head into the London Stadium encounter after nine defeats in their past 12 games in all competitions - and three successive losses. The most recent was a chastening 4-1 reverse to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield, which has placed head coach Arne Slot under pressure.
Alexander Isak returns to the Reds’ starting line-up after being dropped to the bench against PSV. The £125 million British record signing is still searching for his first Premier League goal. He replaces Hugo Ekitike, who had to be withdrawn against PSV with back spasms.
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez is handed his first Premier League start of the campaign. The defender comes in at right-back, with Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong still injured. Curtis Jones deputised against PSV but drops to the bench.
Gomez features from the outset in the top flight for the first time since a 5-0 win at West Ham on 29 December - a game in which he suffered a hamstring injury.
Florian Wirtz is handed an immediate return to the starting XI after returning from injury. Slot has made the decision to drop Mo Salah from his attack rather than Cody Gakpo. On the decision, Slot told Sky Sports: "We play four games in 10 days. I have many good players, as you know, so for today I chose a different line-up and sometimes Alex [Isak] has been on the bench, sometimes Florian [Wirtz], so it’s always about the players on the bench which I can understand. But it’s also about the players who start and that’s the XI I chose today.]
"It’s never an easy decision that I have to make because I have more than 11 good players and it’s not the first time I’ve chosen not to play Mo, I did this, I think, at Galatasaray, at [Eintracht] Frankfurt, and today as well – as I have chosen not to play Florian or not to play Alex or not to play Hugo [Ekitike], as I just said. But for today this is the line-up and like I said, it’s four games in 10 days, which is a lot to ask with probably 14 to 15 players available."
And in goal, Alisson Becker is back from illness to replace Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Gravenberch.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.