Galatasaray vs. Liverpool: Could Curtis Jones replace Alexis Mac Allister in Arne Slot's Champions League starting XI?

Liverpool will be tempted to swap out the likes of Alexis Mac Allister for Curtis Jones against Galatasaray on Tuesday, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.

Arne Slot oversaw a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League, and his side could have easily trailed by multiple goals by the end of the first half.

The Reds' midfield struggled to deal with Palace, and ahead of their Champions League game against Galatasaray, there are expectations that alterations will be made.

Lynch suggested Slot could make several changes to the starting XI, telling Sports Mole: "I don't know about wholesale resting but I think you could see changes. Jones versus Mac Allister where it's like for like.

"At right-back Jeremie Frimpong versus Connor Bradley, left-back Robertson and Kerkez. Between the Saturday game and the Tuesday game, you could see a couple of those changes because the talk had been from people behind the scenes that Slot was going to rotate more this season.

Mac Allister has struggled for form this campaign, and with the Argentine falling short of his high standards, it may be better to take him out of the firing line for the time being.

Should Liverpool be worried about Galatasaray Champions League clash?

Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid on September 17 in their first Champions League game of the season, winning 3-2 at Anfield thanks to a winner from Virgil van Dijk in the 92nd minute.

The Reds will not have the comfort of Anfield on Tuesday, and there are fears that they could drop points in their second European fixture of the 2025-26 campaign given Galatasaray's RAMS Park has played host to notoriously hostile atmospheres.

Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch downplayed the potential impact of the home crowd, though he was wary about the condition of the pitch, saying: "I don't think [Galatasaray away] holds as much fear as it used to for visiting sides. The atmosphere there is not enough to level the playing field.

"That said, if the ball isn't moving smoothly that's always going to benefit the side that wants to defend, that wants to ruin the game a little bit and the side that's got to make the game will struggle to do so if the pitch isn't playing too well. That's helpful for Galatasaray.

"However, Liverpool are more than capable of getting an early goal and calming things down straight away. I do have confidence about this one, more so than I did about Crystal Palace."

It should be noted that the Merseysiders have only won once in four matches against their hosts, and with the condition of Galatasaray's pitch in question following flooding earlier in September, they could encounter difficulties on Tuesday.

Will Liverpool's quality prove too much for Galatasaray?

Slot guided his side to seven victories in his first seven Champions League games in 2024-25, and they managed to comfortably top the league phase.

Galatasaray failed to qualify for UEFA's premier club competition last term after losing a playoff tie in the qualifying rounds against Young Boys in August 2024.

Lynch expressed confidence that the Reds' superior quality should be enough to get them over the line, when he told Sports Mole: "The quality level of Turkish football versus English football at the moment [is not comparable]. The Premier League is just streets ahead.

"It used to be closer in quality level and going there in the past was intimidating when the team was good enough to hurt you and were able to make it really difficult. I have confidence that Liverpool can go there and quieten things down and win the game.

"There's enough quality in that squad, and even if Slot does make three or four changes, the performance level and the quality level of the team should not be coming down too much at all."

Hugo Ekitike is available for Liverpool - he was suspended against Crystal Palace - and Slot will be able to choose from an almost entirely healthy squad.

> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Liverpool's game against Galatasaray in the Champions League