Managing Liverpool: Florian Wirtz gets another chance as Reds sign Alexander Isak replacement
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The Swedish international scored the Reds' first goal of the match against Thomas Frank's team but was tackled harshly by Micky van de Ven while shooting.Instead of celebrating his goal, Isak could be seen holding his leg on the ground and it now appears that the £125m signing will be sidelined for a considerable period, pending an MRI scan to determine the full extent of the injury.With Mohamed Salah currently away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool's forward line is now significantly depleted. As the January transfer window rapidly approaches, the Liverpool Echo examines some of the decisions that may need to be made by Arne Slot and his team if Liverpool are to compete for European places and potentially even the title.READ MORE: Wayne Rooney gives Cristian Romero red card verdict as accusation fired at Liverpool starREAD MORE: Simon Jordan makes Aston Villa PSR claim and says 'water into wine'Bring in SemenyoWith injuries to Isak and Cody Gakpo and Salah's absence, Slot needs to bring in reinforcements to strengthen the attacking options.
If they fail to do this and another player gets injured, it will make life considerably more challenging for Slot and Liverpool.One player consistently linked with the Reds is Bournemouth's forward Antoine Semenyo, who has had an outstanding season so far.Although Semenyo operates from the left and Salah from the right, the forward scores goals and creates opportunities, so he could potentially replace Salah in that capacity in the long run. Liverpool are believed to be vying with Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for his signature, which is valued at £65m.Semenyo has also previously expressed his ambition to play as a central striker, so the Premier League star could feasibly step in to replace Isak should Hugo Ekitike need a rest or rotation.
The Crystal Palace defender came agonisingly close to joining Slot's team on deadline day in the summer, but the deal fell through at the last hurdle.With clubs like Manchester City and Bayern Munich showing interest in Guehi, Liverpool must act swiftly to seal the deal for the former Swansea City centre-back. He has been one of the standout performers this season once again, and it might be worth offering £30m to Palace to ensure Liverpool land their target.Of course, they could attempt to negotiate a deal for him in the summer, but given the injuries to Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez, Liverpool simply must bring in another centre-back to stabilise the team.