Liverpool line-ups vs Brentford as Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate decisions made

The Arne Slot era is underway with the new Liverpool head coach having got off to a winning start with victory at Ipswich Town last weekend in their Premier League opener. Now the Dutchman faces his first competitive home game with the visit of Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

Slot has an almost full bill of health in his Liverpool squad with only Jarell Quansah considered a doubt after picking up an injury in midweek. It means there could be at least one change from the line-up that started at Portman Road.

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The ECHO's writers pick their teams for the game.

Paul Gorst - Ryan Gravenberch will continue
There doesn't appear to be too many selection dilemmas for Arne Slot on his first Anfield appearance as Liverpool's head coach in the Premier League.

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The big call seemed to revolve around Ibrahima Konate or Jarell Quansah at centre-back earlier this week, but the latter didn't train on Friday, which surely paves the way for the France international to start alongside captain Virgil van Dijk.

Andy Robertson revealed last week that he hadn't been pain free during games for around five months but the Scotland captain is feeling fit once more and will expect to be named at left-back. An injury-free Robertson remains vital to the cause.

In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch will continue in the No.6 role alongside Alexis Mac Allister with Dominik Szoboszlai getting the nod over Harvey Elliott further forward. The Hungary captain grew into the game at Portman Road last week and set up Mohamed Salah for the second.

peaking of Salah, he starts on the right and while Diogo Jota needs to be handled with kid gloves given his injury history, the Portugal frontman leads the line for me with Luis Diaz occupying the left. One change in total.

My team (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota.

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Ian Doyle - Give Harvey Elliott at go
It's interesting that for all the talk of strength in depth and the need for rotation, the start of the season is unlikely to see much evidence of that with no midweek games until mid-September.

Slot, then, won't veer too far from the team that started the second half against Ipswich. But should that really be the case?

Probably. Anyway, there's one change at centre-back at least where Ibrahima Konate comes in to partner Virgil van Dijk. Andy Robertson is the left-back and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right, with Alisson Becker in goal.

I'd be minded, though, to make a change in midfield. Dominik Szoboszlai did well win the second half but his first half wasn't great, and Harvey Elliott has been unlucky to miss out and should be given a go in front of the deeper Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

Up top, Diogo Jota leads the line with Mohamed Salah on the right and Luis Diaz on the left.

My team (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Elliott, Diaz; Jota.

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Joe Rimmer - Slot faces difficult conversations
Arne Slot takes charge of Liverpool for the first time at Anfield in the Premier League and he'll do so in somewhat unfamiliar circumstances to that of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

Indeed, Slot will pick from a fairly injury=free squad when he decides on his team for the clash with Brentford, which means there will be some difficult conversations with members of his squad for the match.


He may, however, have been saved from the most difficult, with Jarell Quansah's knock meaning he most likely misses a match he'd have found himself on the bench for, with Ibrahima Konate taking his place in central defence, as he did at half-time against Ipswich.

Darwin Nunez must surely be threatening to at least get off the bench for this one, but he's not in my starting XI. Neither is Kostas Tsimikas, who also could have a chance of replacing Andy Robertson.

My team (4-2-3-1): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota

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