Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham: Ngumoha’s Chance to Impress
After admitting his Liverpool team suffered from a ”lack of freshness” in Saturday’s bleak stalemate with a porous Fulham outfit, Andoni Iraola is expected to shuffle his pack considerably for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
While Iraola has mitigated injury crises at Bournemouth, never before has he been asked to juggle so many games. Free midweeks are a thing of the past, and Iraola’s roster management must be spot on for the Reds to compete fiercely on multiple fronts this term.
The Carabao Cup isn’t a competition Liverpool can afford to sacrifice, but Iraola must be wise and offer opportunities to fringe players, allowing his cornerstones to properly rest and recover.
With that in mind, here’s how Liverpool could line up.
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Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—The goalkeeper will be one of multiple changes made from Saturday’s starting lineup against Fulham. Mamardashvili is an adequate No. 2, nothing more.
RB: Ronald Araújo—The Barcelona loanee has enjoyed a strong start to his Liverpool career, with Iraola stumbling upon a solution at right back.
CB: Joe Gomez—Gomez was back in training last week and will be pushing for a start in the Carabao Cup. Liverpool’s limited depth here means Iraola desperately needs the Englishman to somehow stay fit throughout the season.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—Van Dijk has impressively avoided fitness setbacks during his Reds career, and Iraola shouldn’t be afraid to use his captain for this early-round cup tie.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas—Tsimikas is hardly an ideal alternative to the chaotic Milos Kerkez, as Saturday’s stalemate proved. Still, the Greek could get the nod here, with Kerkez likely to start on his old stomping ground this weekend.
CM: Trey Nyoni—It’s time for Iraola to place more faith in young midfielder Nyoni. The Liverpool boss is struggling to find the right midfield configuration, but the teenager would help alleviate several of the Reds’ current issues.
Pick Your Liverpool XI
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—It hasn’t been the start to the season Szoboszlai would’ve wanted, and some have questioned whether Liverpool would function better as a collective if the Hungarian operated away from Iraola’s midfield pivot.
RW: Jeremie Frimpong—Arne Slot occasionally used Frimpong higher up the pitch to mitigate his defensive flaws. Iraola could do the same midweek, although Liverpool supporters would be content with the Dutchman remaining on the bench.
AM: Lewis Koumas—The Liverpool boss is an admirer of 20-year-old Koumas, who has the chance to show up Florian Wirtz on Tuesday. Expect him to roam from a No. 10 position and find himself in wide areas.
LW: Rio Ngumoha—The arrival of Bradley Barcola means there’s stiffer competition for Ngumoha, but he’s assured of a starting role down his preferred left flank for Spurs’ visit in the cup.
ST: Alexander Isak—Given the absence of alternatives, unless Iraola was to get creative, Isak will likely retain his spot up top. The Swede’s first Liverpool goal arrived at this stage of last season‘s competition in a 2–1 win over Southampton.
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