Cody Gakpo axed as two changes made: Liverpool predicted XI vs West Ham
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Credit: Imago Cody Gakpo axed as two changes made: Liverpool predicted XI vs West Ham Thu 26 February 2026 8:00, UK Arne Slot could hand Rio Ngumoha a maiden Premier League start ahead of Cody Gakpo as Liverpool face West Ham on Saturday.Liverpool are currently embroiled in a three-way battle with Manchester United and Chelsea to finish in the top five of the Premier League this season.Slot‘s side moved level on points with Chelsea last weekend as Alexis Mac Allister secured victory at the death in a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest, having seen a goal ruled out for handball just minutes earlier.Gakpo struggled to make a mark on the encounter before being taken off, as young winger Ngumoha came on and changed the game in the Reds’ favour.Slot will have had six days to mull over who should start against West Ham this weekend, and Football Insider have predicted the eleven that he could pick to start.Credit: ImagoRead more: Cody Gakpo could be finished at Liverpool as new stats emerge from Nottingham Forest calamityCody Gakpo and Curtis Jones to drop out of Liverpool’s starting XI vs West HamMost of Liverpool’s starting XI is expected to stay the same, as Slot continues to contend with injuries to several of his first-team stars. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Alisson kept a third successive clean sheet against Forest and will continue in between the sticks, with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk flanked by stand-in right-back Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez on the left.Mac Allister did not have his best game at the City Ground, but scored when it mattered, and will surely remain in midfield next to the ever-present Ryan Gravenberch.Liverpool suffered a blow as Florian Wirtz was ruled out of the Forest clash with a back injury picked up in the warm-up, but Slot reassured fans that it was nothing serious and he could, therefore, come into the team against the Hammers in place of Curtis Jones.Mohamed Salah will keep his place on the right wing, while Ngumoha may have earned a chance to start in the Premier League for the first time in his career after his game-changing cameo last weekend.Hugo Ekitike will likely continue to lead the line for the Reds as Alexander Isak remains sidelined.Read more: RB Leipzig name Yan Diomande price as Premier League ‘first choice’ revealedWhat did Slot say about Ngumoha after his Forest cameo?Slot has been reluctant to use Ngumoha too regularly this season as he emerges into his first team plans at just 17-years-old.The teenage starlet has made 15 appearances in all competitions, and his latest showing against Forest was one of his finest so far, with Slot recognising as much after the game.He said: “He has incredible potential, otherwise at 17 years of age you don’t play as many minutes as he does in the Premier League, let alone at Liverpool.“He’s making progress more and more and that’s why lately you see him playing more and more as well.
He gets stronger.“Apart from his moment where he had that one-vs-one, there were also one or two other moments where he showed that he stood his ground.”The Dutchman is clearly impressed by what he has seen from Ngumoha, and could well hand him a first league start against the Hammers as Liverpool aim to continue their strong form.Watch securely and privately while travelling, and keep access to the services you normally use with Proton VPN.