By Matt Smith
This will be the first time Ipswich have faced Liverpool at Anfield since 2002. The two sides met earlier in the season at Portman Road, with the Reds securing a 2-0 victory away from home.
Slot dealt Jones blow
Speaking to the media ahead of Liverpool’s game against Ipswich, Slot confirmed that he would be without Curtis Jones, suggesting that he might return to face Bournemouth next weekend. It doesn’t appear to be a serious injury for the English midfielder, but he’ll certainly miss this weekend’s game.
Slot has also added that he’s taking caution with Ibrahima Konaté, who is struggling to play every three days due to his fitness. The French centre-back was benched against Lille in the Champions League during the week, so it will be interesting to see if he comes back in.
The resurgence of Darwin Núñez?
Darwin Núñez has come under plenty of criticism in recent years after some underwhelming performances, and Slot has shown in the first few months of his tenure that the former Benfica attacker isn’t a guaranteed starter. Slot gave Núñez a rare start against Lille in the Champions League in midweek after a 25 minute cameo at Brentford last time out in the Premier League, a decision that paid off.
Núñez scored twice in injury time to help secure the win against the Bees and then earned the highest FotMob rating of the game (8.0) despite not finding the net in the victory over Lille. If the Dutch manager persists with the Uruguayan and shows confidence in the striker, he could become a valuable option in the coming weeks.
Szmodics and Chaplin remain sidelined
McKenna has stated that he’s expecting a similar Ipswich squad to travel to Merseyside as the group who were defeated 6-0 at home to Manchester City. The Ipswich boss confirmed that both Sammie Szmodics and Connor Chaplin will be unavailable for The Tractor Boys.
Ali Al-Hamadi could also miss out, with McKenna suggesting that he might be on the move before the end of the transfer window.
-Delap will need to produce the goods
With Ipswich travelling to the strongest side in the Premier League this season, you’d expect McKenna’s men to have little possession, hoping to hit the opposition on the break. Liam Delap could, therefore, have a thankless task in attack, but Ipswich will be relying on him to produce the goods.
The former Man City striker has been a standout for the newly promoted club this season, finding the back of the net on eight occasions. If Ipswich manage to secure an emphatic result on the road, Delap is likely to have a major influence.
Prediction
With Ipswich picking up just nine points away from home and Liverpool losing just once at Anfield, a win for the Reds feels likely.
We’re going for a comfortable home win, with Núñez continuing his momentum and getting his name on the scoresheet.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
