‘Surprised’ – One Liverpool line-up change has raised eyebrows among multiple journalists | OneFootball

It’s a much-changed Liverpool line-up which takes to the Anfield turf this afternoon as Ipswich make the trip to Merseyside.

Arne Slot has made five alterations from the team which began the Champions League win over Lille in midweek, three of which come in defence.

The injured Curtis Jones is replaced by Alexis Mac Allister, although the standout change sees Darwin Nunez left out of the team despite his stoppage time heroics at Brentford seven days ago, with Luis Diaz lining up at centre-forward once more.

Liverpool journalists react to Nunez’s omission

When the team news was announced 75 minutes before kick-off, two prominent reporters from the Liverpool Echo both admitted that they were surprised by the Uruguayan’s omission from the starting XI.

Theo Squires reacted: “A little surprised to see Darwin Nunez drop to the bench as Luis Diaz gets another chance at centre-forward. Imagine there will be plenty more rotation in midweek away at PSV Eindhoven though, so smart for Arne Slot to continue to manage legs in his squad.”

Meanwhile, Paul Gorst wrote: “I didn’t think Darwin Nunez did too badly on Tuesday night so I am surprised he isn’t starting this one today, but Slot seems to like Luis Diaz in this No.9 position.

“I am less convinced for the long term but he has shown he can produce the goods at times, namely that hat-trick he got against Leverkusen in the Champions League back in November.

“Slot is insistent that Nunez remains a key figure and part of his longer-term plans beyond this season but the Uruguay striker is really finding it difficult finding a place in a team that hasn’t been able to start Diogo Jota in the Premier League since October.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Can Diaz repay Slot’s faith this afternoon?

Paul Merson had correctly tipped Nunez to revert to the substitutes’ bench today, although we share Squires’ and Gorst’s surprise at Slot opting for Diaz over the 25-year-old at centre-forward.

It had seemed as though the Uruguayan’s stoppage time double at Brentford a week ago could’ve been the trigger for more frequent starts, especially with Jota sidelined through injury, but our number 9 will instead have to try and make an impact as a sub if called upon this afternoon.

Maybe the Liverpool boss is conscious that the ex-Benfica marksman played the full 90 minutes against Lille and is managing his workload accordingly, even though he’s only started one other match this month, and that was the FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley a fortnight ago.

Diaz is without a goal in five outings since the 5-0 thrashing of West Ham at the end of December, and he’s started in all but one of those, so he could do with getting back on the scoresheet in the knowledge that Nunez is chomping at the bit for the centre-forward berth.

Slot’s excellent first few months at Anfield have earned him the firm trust of LFC fans, and while that particular decision today might’ve come as a slight surprise, we’ve full faith in the Dutchman when it comes to team selection.