Liverpool team news v Southampton: Nunez recalled among 3 changes by Slot, Gakpo misses out | OneFootball

Liverpool play their one and only Premier League game in March this afternoon when they welcome rock-bottom Southampton to Anfield, with the Reds having the opportunity to go 16 points clear of Arsenal with a win.

The two sides are at polar extremes in the table with a chasm of 58 points between them, but as Arne Slot warned prior to kick-off, it didn’t seem like that in the reverse fixture at St Mary’s in November.

On that occasion, the south coast strugglers led 2-1 with 25 minutes remaining until a Mo Salah double eventually won it for the Merseysiders.

In terms of injury news for Liverpool, the big question coming into the game was whether or not Cody Gakpo would be fit enough to feature against the Saints, with the LFC head coach saying on Friday that it’d be a ‘close call’.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpool starting XI to face Southampton

With this fixture coming bang in the middle of a two-legged Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, Slot has taken the oppotunity to rotate by making three changes from the team which started the win in the French capital on Wednesday night.

Alisson Becker continues in goal, with one change to the defence as Kostas Tsimikas replaces Andy Robertson at left-back.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister gets a rare rest as Curtis Jones comes in to take his place, with Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai also selected.

Darwin Nunez replaces Diogo Jota at centre-forward, with Mo Salah and Luis Diaz either side of the Uruguayan.

Slot eschews the opportunity to hand Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo their first Premier League starts of the season, although both are on the bench along with the three who drop out of the midweek line-up. The game has come too soon for Gakpo, who misses out on the matchday squad.

You can view the Liverpool starting XI and substitutes below, via @LFC on X: