Arne Slot surprised plenty of Liverpool supporters by continuing to leave Mohamed Salah out of his starting XI on Wednesday night.
The Egyptian has been in disappointing form so far this season, and finally paid for that with a spot on the bench during Sunday’s win over West Ham.
Plenty had expected Salah to return to the line-up for the clash against Sunderland, but after Liverpool had looked better without him, Slot chose to bench his talisman once again.
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This time, it did not especially work, with Salah brought on at half-time with the remit of saving a lacklustre Liverpool performance.
The veteran’s introduction did not really have the desired effect, calling into question his potential to start Saturday’s game against Leeds United. Asked whether Salah should in fact return at Elland Road, former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge offered Slot an alternative solution.
Liverpool must finally start Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak
Liverpool are clearly planning for life after Salah, and the 33-year-old’s form this season has shown why that was a smart move.
However, while Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz feel like the future of Liverpool’s attack, Slot has so far been reluctant to use them all together.
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With the Reds looking desperately one-paced in attack, Sturridge says now is the time to get the three players on the pitch working in a system together.
Asked whether he would start Salah against Leeds on Saturday, Sturridge told Sky Sports that Slot may be better doubling down and looking to use a different plan.
“I’m not the manager, I can’t decide what I believe he will do, but I’m saying if you’re going to change the formation and play slightly different then I would go all the way with it,” said the 39-year-old.
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“Say ‘okay, let’s have a look at Ekitike and Isak up top and see whether that’s the answer’. If you’re going to leave Salah out again then I would try something different, have Wirtz in a number 10 behind them and see if that can open a few doors.”
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As well as Salah, Cody Gakpo is badly out of form for Liverpool this season. It should be an easy decision for Slot to drop them both.
That should then open the door to trying Ekitike and Isak in a front two together, with Wirtz supplying the bullets in behind.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 7 |  BrightonBrighton | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 20 | 4 | 22 |
| 8 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 22 |
| 9 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 21 |
Liverpool could comfortably line up in a 4-4-2 diamond then, with room for Slot’s preferred midfield three.
The system would ask a lot of the full-backs, but in Milos Kerkez and Conor Bradley Liverpool have two who can bomb up and down without problem. Bradley reportedly has a chance to be fit for Leeds, and if he is, he should play.
There will be pressure on Slot to bring Salah back in, but he must have a long-term plan for his attack after this summer’s spending spree. Now is the time to listen to Sturridge and put it into action.
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