Liverpool v Fulham LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and prediction – UK Times

Arne Slot ditches the back five he played in Paris and brings back wingers: three of them, which presumably means Cody Gakpo will play as a centre-forward, with Mohamed Salah to his right and Rio Ngumoha to his left. It is a much more attacking line-up, albeit without Hugo Ekitike, who is being saved for the second leg against PSG. Fulham have never lost to Liverpool in Slot’s reign, so this could be a tough game for Liverpool.

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate, Szoboszlai, Jones, Ngumoha, Wirtz, Salah, Gakpo

Fulham XI: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Berge, Iwobi, Wilson, King, Bobb, Muniz

… will be coming up from Anfield in the next few minutes.

Marco Silva has promised his Fulham players will fight for European qualification in the last few weeks of the season.

Fulham go into the weekend in ninth place, two points behind both Brentford and Everton in seventh and eighth.

But with those two sides meeting each other before Fulham kick off away to a Liverpool side who have suffered back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, the Cottagers have the opportunity to move up this weekend.

“We have big, big motivation,” Silva said. “We have set ourselves a position where we can fight something that is very difficult to achieve but is achievable.”

Fulham are the only Premier League team Liverpool have failed to beat who have played in both of Arne Slot’s two seasons at the club.

Andy Robertson has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

The defender will depart when his contract expires with the club hailing him as a “genuine Liverpool legend” and Robertson saying he has few regrets about his nine years at Anfield.

The Scotland captain, who will join Mohamed Salah in moving on in the summer as the break-up of Jurgen Klopp’s great team continues, is set to go after establishing himself as one of the best left-backs in Liverpool’s history.

Robertson, who said Liverpool mean everything to him and who believes he will always have a smile when he thinks of his time at the club, has won two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the Uefa Super Cup, the FA Cup, two Carabao Cups and the Community Shield in a hugely successful time on Merseyside.

Liverpool will be playing at home for the first time since Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson announced their departures from the club at the end of the season after nine years at Anfield.

Salah’s announcement came before the international break, and the Egyptian was left out on the bench for the defeat to PSG on Wednesday, even as Arne Slot used all five substitutes.

“In the last part of the game it was more about us surviving than there was ever a chance of scoring,” Slot explained. “You never know because last season we scored five minutes before the end, but I think this was 20, 25 minutes where we only defending.

“Mo has so much qualities but to be 20, 25 minutes defending in his own box, I think it’s better for him to save his energy for other tough games coming up.”

Kevin is a definite absentee for the visitors with a foot injury, but they could be boosted by the returns of Calvin Bassey – who withdrew from international duty with a back issue – and Kenny Tete.

Liverpool have no new injury concerns joining Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni in the treatment room but remain without first-choice keeper Alisson, who will be sidelined for several weeks with a muscle injury, but have an able deputy in Giorgi Mamardashvili, one of few players to acquit themselves well in Paris.

Alexander Isak made a first cameo midweek since breaking his leg over three months ago, and is likely to do so again on Saturday, but all eyes will be on the departing Mohamed Salah and whether he makes it off the bench this time.

Liverpool are hanging onto fifth position in the Premier League – but only just. Arne Slot’s team may have a hold of the final Champions League qualification position, they are only seven points above 13th place. Fulham could throw themselves into the battle for Europe with a result at Anfield.

After the humiliation at Manchester City and the domination in Paris, the pressure is on Arne Slot as Liverpool return to Premier League action at home to Fulham.

On a day where fans are planning to protest ticket prices at Anfield, Slot could do with a victory to stop Liverpool’s season from turning toxic. Stay tuned for all the build-up.