‘Best available choice’ – Paul Merson predicts who’ll play right-back for Liverpool tonight

Paul Merson is expecting to see Dominik Szoboszlai deployed at right-back when Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield on Saturday night.

Arne Slot goes into the game with only Calvin Ramsay (who’s made three senior Reds appearances) as a natural senior option for that role, with Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley both sidelined through injury and the versatile Joe Gomez also ruled out.

The LFC head coach turned to Wataru Endo as an emergency right-back when the Netherlands international had to be substituted against Qarabag in midweek, but with the Magpies likely to pose a far sterner test, the 47-year-old may look elsewhere for an answer to that problematic position.

Merson expecting Szoboszlai to start at right-back v Newcastle

Merson believes that Liverpool’s Hungarian midfielder will get the nod at right-back tonight, writing in his latest Sportskeeda column: ‘After the injury to Jeremie Frimpong, I expect Dominik Szoboszlai to play right-back in this game.

‘Newcastle have strong wide players like Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga, so I don’t think Liverpool will use Wataru Endo like they did against Qarabag.

‘Szoboszlai is the best available choice at right-back because he has done quite well playing there, but Liverpool haven’t been as dominant as they have been in midfield this season. If you take Szoboszlai out of that midfield, you have another big gap to fill there.’

What are Slot’s options for right-back tonight?

Merson has hit upon the crux of the problem facing Slot at present – he could deploy the Hungary captain at right-back tonight, but that’d leave a significant gap in midfield to fill, albeit that the projected return of Ibrahima Konate should free up Ryan Gravenberch to revert to his usual role.

Szoboszlai could also be retained in his strongest position in favour of Curtis Jones (who’s available again after illness ruled him out against Qarabag) playing in defence, although that too would see a midfielder having to be redeployed in an unfamiliar berth.

Ramsay is the one natural senior right-back available to Slot, but given the Scotsman’s high-level inexperience, it seems improbable that he’ll be entrusted to start against a Newcastle team who pose a significant attacking threat out wide.

At least Gomez should soon be back to give Liverpool a more seasoned option on the right-hand side of defence, but his unavailability for tonight presents the head coach with a significant dilemma.

Our expectation is that Merson will be proven right and Szoboszlai will be asked to deputise at right-back, a role in which he has performed admirably this season when needed but which also takes away from the qualities he provides further up the pitch.

That in itself sums up just how dire the Reds’ defensive situation has become in this most galling of seasons.

You can watch Slot’s full post-Qarabag press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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