It's an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan right now and the good news just keeps coming with another teenager set to line-up for his debut very soon. Arne Slot doesn't have an easy job at the moment...
It's an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan right now and the good news just keeps coming with another teenager set to line-up for his debut very soon.
Arne Slot doesn't have an easy job at the moment when it comes to making key player selections. He doesn't have any injuries to contend with which means he has to choose from a stacked list of options.
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Inevitably, players are going to miss out on playing time. Some like Federico Chiesa, have even been forced to not play in the Champions League and miss out from being registered in the squad.
For those players on the fringes, Tuesday's League Cup game is going to be an opportunity. Not only to get some minutes under their belt but also to make a case for themselves in front of Slot.
Of course, it's not just the fringe players who this will be an opportunity for. There are also going to be some players making their official debuts in this game.
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Giorgi Mamardashvili is pretty much certain to start and make his official bow. At this moment in time he's pretty much the only player guaranteed to play.
What we also do know are the players who definitely won't be playing.
Slot confirmed as per Lewis Steele that neither Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai nor Ryan Gravenberch will be involved on Tuesday night.
This pretty much all but confirms one player who will definitely be involved. With no Van Dijk nor Konate, it's guaranteed that Giovanni Leoni is finally going to make his debut.
We have not seen the 18-year-old in any games so far. We've barely seen him in training footage so this is going to be a very exciting moment.
Unlike the rest of the new signings, Leoni missed the pre-season games, which has meant he's had to wait well over a month since joining to make the long-awaited debut.
Alongside him, we'll probably see Joe Gomez make a start. It's going to be fascinating with who else will be given more minutes by Slot.
Perhaps there will be a bit more playing time given to Alexander Isak. Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni will likely be involved as well.
Either way, it's going to be a very special moment for Leoni. He's been waiting for this for a while and Southampton is not going to be an easy test, it's one where you feel comfortable giving him an experience of English football.
That appearance will likely be the first of many for Leoni. Liverpool signed him not for the present but for the future, so for him this is the long-game and this season is more about learning from Van Dijk rather than playing a lot of games.
Category: General Sports
