Liverpool lineup vs. Brighton: Predicted XI for Premier League clash with Mohamed Salah decision made

Liverpool could be without up to seven players for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

Head coach Arne Slot has confirmed that Cody Gakpo is out for a few weeks with an unspecified injury and is joined on the sidelines by long-term absentee Giovanni Leoni (ACL).

Conor Bradley will serve a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Leeds, while Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Federico Chiesa (illness) and Wataru Endo (unspecified) are all doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear as to whether Mohamed Salah will be involved after he was omitted from the matchday squad for Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League win against Inter Milan on Tuesday following his bombshell outburst over being benched for three successive Premier League matches.

At this stage, the 33-year-old attacker is seemingly more likely to begin as a substitute or be left out from the squad entirely again, before leaving for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt later this month.

Dominik Szoboszlai, who scored an 88th-minute winning penalty against Inter, has arguably been Liverpool’s standout performer this season and he could continue on the right side of midfield if Salah is left out again.

Should Slot opt to recall versatile playmaker Florian Wirtz to the first XI, that could see either Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak make way, and whoever retains their starting spot will begin up front.

Ex-Brighton man Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch will all be battling for starts in midfield, while Joe Gomez will likely continue at right-back in the absence of Bradley, joining out-of-form Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and either Milos Kerkez or Andrew Robertson in the back four.

Liverpool possible starting lineup: Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Jones, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Isak, Wirtz

> Click here to see how Brighton & Hove Albion could line up for this contest