Arne Slot is eager to see Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike flourish up front together after deciding to omit Mohamed Salah from Liverpool's starting line-up for the Champions League fixture with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Isak and Ekitike will play together in a front two with the latter playing against his former club. There is no place in the Liverpool XI for Salah, though, with Slot hinting that Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo will play wide in a refreshed shape.
"What we need to try today is to create as many chances as the last few weeks, because that is very helpful that we two players who can score," he told TNT Sports ahead of kick-off. "We are hoping and expecting Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo to create something for these two with Florian Wirtz's creativity in and around our two No.9s.
"So that is looking at how they normally set up and that's the idea. They can play together, they showed it against United, although it was the second half, but it means our midfield needs to be structured a little differently. Where we normally play with one [number] six, now we need Curtis and Dom to be more defensively-minded than one of the two usually is."
The decision to leave Salah out the starting XI comes after a string of under par performances from the Reds talisman, who was in outstanding form last year as Liverpool won the Premier League title.
Speaking after Liverpool's 2-1 loss against Manchester United, Kop idol Jamie Carragher suggested that the Egypt international should no longer be considered one of the first names on Slot's teamsheet.
"It’s a real headache for the coach, and we’ll see what he does. It’s interesting that he subbed him off," he said. "Jurgen Klopp used to take him off quite often, which shows that, even in the past, Mo Salah could have a poor game and be replaced, even if he still had some energy and sharpness left.
"We’ve reached a point with Mo Salah where he shouldn’t be playing every game. It shouldn’t be a case of ‘he’s the first name on the team sheet’ anymore. He’s still part of your best XI, he plays the home matches, but maybe it’s time to think differently."
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