Liverpool team vs Chelsea confirmed as shock Florian Wirtz update emerges
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The Reds could secure a top-five finish on Saturday with a win over Chelsea, although Arne Slot will have to deal with the absences of several key players at AnfieldFlorian Wirtz missed Liverpool's Premier League game against Chelsea(Image: (Photo by Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images))Arne Slot has made three changes to his Liverpool line-up against Chelsea, from the side that started at Manchester United last week.Florian Wirtz is the shock omission, less than 24 hours after Slot confirmed he was fit to play. The German had missed training earlier this week due to illness and in his place, Rio Ngumoha has been drafted to face his former club, in just his third-ever Premier League start.The other changes see Milos Kerkez replace Andy Robertson at left-back, while Giorgi Mamardashvili is back in nets.
Robertson, the Scotland captain, had started the last four games, with Kerkez dealing with a minor knock in recent weeks.READ MORE: Arne Slot admits financial importance of Liverpool finishing in Champions League placesREAD MORE: Arne Slot responds to Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk's comments on Liverpool standardsAlexander Isak has not been selected from the off despite Slot hinting both could be available during Friday's press conference. He has been selected on a bench that includes Joe Gomez and Federico Cheisa.Freddie Woodman is also among the substitutes with Mamardashvili back, while Isak's omission means Cody Gakpo is expected to start up front again.In defense, Curtis Jones remains at right-back, as part of a back four that includes Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Kerkez.Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai make up Slot's tried-and-trusted midfield three, with Jeremie Frimpong, Gakpo and Ngumoha forming a makeshift forward line.Ngumoha comes in to start for his third Premier League start of the season(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Writing in his pre-match notes, Slot underlined the importance of taking three points as the Reds look to secure a top-five finish."As things stand going into today's game, we have the opportunity to take another step towards our objective of achieving Champions League qualification for a second successive season," claimed the Liverpool head coach."The best way for us to ensure that this happens, of course, is by taking the results of others out of the equation by taking care of our own business.Slot wants Liverpool to end the campaign on a positive note(Image: Getty Images)"Our fate is in our own hands, we have no need to rely on anyone else or to hope that fate might conspire in our favour.
We just have to get the job done."This has to be our mindset and we should also be aiming to take as many points as we possibly can from our final three matches, particularly after the disappointment of losing at Old Trafford last weekend after three very good wins against Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace."Liverpool XI: Mamrdashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Frimpong, Gakpo, Ngumoha.Substitutes: Woodman, Gomez, Ndiaye, Robertson, Nyoni, Chiesa, Morrison, Isak, Wright.