Just in: Why Florian Wirtz isn’t in Liverpool matchday squad to face Chelsea | OneFootball

Florian Wirtz is a notable absentee from the Liverpool matchday squad to face Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Arne Slot has made three changes to his starting XI from the defeat to Manchester United last weekend, with the German one of those to drop out of the side as Rio Ngumoha takes his place on the left flank instead.

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The Reds’ head coach stated in his pre-match press conference on Friday that the 23-year-old had been ‘a bit unwell’ during the week but trained with the squad two days ago, although it’d appear that his ailment has flared up again.

Why is Wirtz not involved against Chelsea?

Shortly after the line-ups were announced 75 minutes prior to kick-off, BBC Sport posted an update as to why Wirtz isn’t involved against Chelsea this afternoon.

They explained: ‘The word from Anfield is that Florian Wirtz is not involved for Liverpool today because of a stomach bug.’

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Hopefully Liverpool can rally despite the absence of Wirtz

It had looked as though the Reds’ number 7 had gotten over his illness from earlier in the week and would be available today, but unfortunately that isn’t the case, and his absence from a Liverpool side also missing Mo Salah and Hugo Ekitike will be sorely felt in the final third of the pitch.

At least Alexander Isak is fit enough to be included among the substitutes, offering Slot a bit more in resere than he had at Old Trafford six days ago, and the inclusion of Ngumoha in the starting XI will surely be well received by the fan base at large.

Wirtz may have had an ineffective and much-criticised outing against Manchester United last weekend, but he’s still a big miss for the home side at Anfield this afternoon, and the starting attackers will need to step up and compensate for his absence.

Chelsea are also quite depleted in an attacking sense today, with Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens all sidelined (BBC Sport), with both teams counting the cost of widespread injuries.

Let’s hope that those involved for Liverpool today can conjure up another home victory and ensure that the absence of the German playmaker isn’t too disruptive.