Injury worries for Slot?

Injury worries for Slot?KDB to start? Liverpool vs Man City selection issues.

Arne Slot's Reds have the upper hand going into the battle and may increase their lead at the top of the table over Man City to an astonishing 11 points. Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, will be keen for a victory to break the reigning champions' remarkable run of form.

Slot's first decision will be who to choose in goal. Alisson would have been an automatic option for many seasons, but he has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, and his understudy Caoimhin Kelleher has been brilliant. His headline-grabbing penalty save against Kylian Mbappe was his third of the season for club and country, and there is no doubt the Republic of Ireland international has taken advantage of his opportunity this season, preserving five clean sheets and allowing only seven goals in ten games when called upon.

However, the more experienced Alisson leads Kelleher in save percentage and goals-prevented data this season, so will Slot bring the Brazilian back into the mix on Sunday?

Conor Bradley shone brightly for Liverpool last season, but his booming tackle on Mbappe and overall performance against Real Madrid fueled speculation about his future as a first-team regular.

Could he keep Trent Alexander-Arnold out of Liverpool's team? Perhaps not this weekend, since a hamstring ailment is a concern. Slot was unable to provide an update on the Northern Ireland international's fitness situation during his Thursday press conference, but he did confirm Alexander-Arnold's readiness to return following his recent injury layoff. If neither of them can do art, Joe Gomez can.

The slot does not want to break up Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk's center-back combo, but he has been forced to. Konate was caught almost as the full-time whistle blew by Real Madrid's Endrick, and he took a long time to get to his feet before limping off the pitch. He has since stated that he will be unable due to a knee issue. Will 21-year-old Jarell Quansah step in for him? He has made only four appearances this season. Gomez is again an option, having made eight appearances.

Guardiola has been reasonably cautious in his use of Kevin De Bruyne in recent weeks, given the Belgian international's injury history. But, with City's title aspirations on the line this Sunday, this feels like an all-or-nothing situation for the reigning champions, who may have to throw everything they've got at Liverpool to pick up a rare win at Anfield and change the narrative of this title battle.

Ruben Dias, another City mainstay, has been on the sidelines. He was injured at half-time in City's Carabao Cup loss to Tottenham, and his teammates have yet to win a game without him since. Their backline has been crying out for his authority, poise, and leadership, and if he has recovered from a muscular ailment - as appears to be the case given his appearance on the bench in midweek - he must return to the team.

The image of Kyle Walker being outrun by Timo Werner was frightening. How important could it be in Guardiola's selection considerations for this match? Was Walker merely caught off guard by a new substitute late in the game? Or do the statistics surrounding Walker's diminishing top speeds and getting dribbled past by opponents indicate a more lasting decline? Rico Lewis will be competing for a berth at right-back.

On the other hand, Josko Gvardiol is having a difficult time, having made mistakes against Tottenham and Feyenoord in the previous week. He was particularly effective moving forward against Spurs, but Nathan Ake might move to left-back if Dias returns and Guardiola is concerned about the Croatian's form.

The question for both managers will be who fills the midfield places. For Liverpool, Slot may want to rotate in Dominik Szoboszlai for Curtis Jones, who came on for the final few minutes instead of the England international on Wednesday. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister will almost certainly team up with whoever Szoboszlai and Jones choose. As for City, the Ilkay Gundogan-Rico Lewis duo behind Phil Foden was swamped by lively Tottenham last weekend, and Guardiola's team is concerned that the same thing would occur at Anfield.

So, does Matheus Nunes go back in there? Mateo Kovacic remains in the treatment room, as is long-term absentee Rodri, leaving few options. If Guardiola wants to include De Bruyne from the start, some changes may be necessary. Could Foden switch to the right or left flank to accommodate the Belgian?