Arne Slot faces Liverpool dilemma as Rio Ngumoha responds to Steven Gerrard
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Rio Ngumoha's Player of the Match performance against Wolves has left Arne Slot with selection decisions to make ahead of Liverpool's next Premier League gameArne Slot must decide whether to keep Rio Ngumoha in his starting XI or bench the youngster(Image: Getty Images)Rio Ngumoha's emergence has been one of the most exciting developments of the campaign for Liverpool supporters.And Arne Slot faces a choice concerning whether to start the teenager. He made his Premier League debut last August and marked it with a winning goal against Newcastle.The 17-year-old has become a regular presence on Slot's bench, but in recent weeks, he has genuinely started to thrive.
Ngumoha's brief cameo at the end of a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Tuesday was so striking that Reds legend Steven Gerrard lavished praise on him and called on manager Slot to start him in the following fixture.READ MORE: Liverpool wants sickening Grok AI posts on Hillsborough and Diogo Jota removedREAD MORE: Alexis Mac Allister's dad provides alarming update on son's Liverpool futureGerrard told TNT Sports: "[Slot] has to start Ngumoha now. He has to start him because he's coming on and he's doing more in a short cameo in a short space of time than [Cody] Gakpo's doing in 65, 70 minutes.
The question now is, how often does Ngumoha feature in the starting line-up going forward?Rio Ngumoha finally got his chance against Wolves(Image: Getty Images)In his recent substitute appearances, Ngumoha has operated on the left flank, often alongside Cody Gakpo, Slot's preferred choice in that position, who has either been withdrawn or shifted centrally.The most straightforward change Slot could make would be to leave out Gakpo, but the Dutchman faces another dilemma when Alexander Isak returns from his prolonged injury lay-off.Before his fitness setback, much of the Liverpool team selection debate revolved around whether Hugo Ekitike and Isak would both feature regularly in the starting XI. If both feature, Slot tends to deploy Ekitike on the left, where he operates as a wide second striker.This congestion will only amplify Slot's dilemma regarding Ngumoha, as it's unlikely he'd opt to replace either Isak or Ekitike with the young Englishman, let alone the considerably more experienced Gakpo.