Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among those who are currently out injured with Caoimhin Kelleher retaining his spot and Conor Bradley coming in at right-back. Andy Robertson is in over Kostas Tsimikas at left-back with the Greek not fit enough for the bench, while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are once again the center-back duo.
In the Liverpool midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is left out of the starting line-up having traveled to and from South America during the international break. Ryan Gravenberch starts as the number six with Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai on either side of him. Harvey Elliott makes the bench having recovered from his foot injury sustained in September.
While Darwin Nunez was also on the other side of the world representing his country, Uruguay took him off at half-time against Brazil and without Diogo Jota through injury, Liverpool is more limited in its options in attack. Nunez starts alongside Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, with the decision made, like with Mac Allister, to leave Luis Diaz left in reserve.
"It would be a bit strange if I would tell you I am not enjoying being in the position we are in now," Slot said in his pre-match press conference. "But we also understand it is only 11 games and a lot of games have to be played.
"We all know the teams we face in this league [and that] they are able to have the same run of games as we had, so if we want to stay where we are we have to keep bringing the results in, which is not going to be easy — starting on Sunday. Everybody maybe feels like they are bottom of the league at the moment, but they don’t play at all like this.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot. (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
"They’ve made it very difficult for the teams that are in the top three, four and five. Their playing style is very interesting; it was a joy to watch their games because they have a very interesting and nice way of playing. It’s going to be a difficult one, especially after the international break, which is always a difficult one for everyone.
"The first two times we played at home and now we play away, so another challenge. We like to be where we are, and if we want to stay there we have to keep on winning games."
Southampton starting XI in full: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens; Fraser, Downes, Lallana, Fernandes; Dibling, Armstrong, Onuachu. Subs: Lumley, Suguwara, Bree, Manning, Ugochukwu, Aribo, Kamaldeen, Brereton Diaz, Archer.
Liverpool starting XI in full: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo. Subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Quansah, Elliott, Endo, Morton, Mac Allister, Diaz.
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