5 options for Arne Slot as Liverpool boss looks to fix Newcastle headache

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James' Park on Monday, as Jeremie Frimpong's unavailability presents Arne Slot with an unwelcome selection dilemma.

The Dutch defender has made an encouraging start since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, netting a somewhat fortuitous strike in the Community Shield before delivering pace and attacking width during the opening Premier League victory against Bournemouth.

Liverpool fans had questioned Slot's choice to withdraw Frimpong against the Cherries, with numerous fans arguing that his substitution saw the visitors surrender their momentum and allowed Bournemouth, particularly Antoine Semenyo, to regain a foothold in the match.

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However, with Frimpong now sidelined until after the international break due to a hamstring problem, the logic behind that earlier change becomes more apparent, and there's little doubt the Reds will feel his absence both on Monday night and during next weekend's clash with Arsenal.

So, how does Slot address this void

Conor Bradley is trying to regain his place in Liverpool's starting XI

Ideally, Slot would call upon Conor Bradley to deputize in the right-back position, yet the Northern Ireland international endured a disrupted preseason campaign through injury and didn't even feature among the substitutes against Bournemouth.

Slot revealed during Thursday's press conference that Bradley had participated in training for "a few minutes," though he may conclude that this fixture arrives too early for the defender, particularly with the Arsenal encounter looming next weekend.

Joe Gomez could be another contender following his notable performance against Bournemouth, but Slot has expressed concern that he hasn't been able to train for three consecutive days recently, and he is yet to start a game under the Dutchman at right-back.

This situation opens up the possibility for a more unconventional solution at right-back, with Dominik Szoboszlai being a viable option after playing in that position during preseason

The Hungarian is always ready to put in the work and would undoubtedly contribute if he started there, but there could be defensive concerns.

The same could be said for Curtis Jones, who started the Merseyside derby at right-back last season, but is perhaps only suited for the role in games where the Reds will dominate possession, something they aren't likely to do at Newcastle.

There's also the possibility that Wataru Endo starts there after replacing Frimpong against Bournemouth, although his performance didn't exactly inspire confidence.

A challenging decision for Slot then, and one that could end up shaping the game.

Our prediction: Gomez to start at right-back, replaced by Bradley in the second half.