Arne Slot hints at Darwin Nunez recall as Liverpool face Brighton rematch | OneFootball

Reds boss looks set to quickly ditch experiment that saw him start without a recognised striker in the Carabao Cup

Darwin Nunez could be set for an immediate recall when Liverpool face Brighton for the second time this week. Well, that's if Arne Slot's preference is anything to go by.

When the two sides met in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday, the Reds boss decided to experiment by opting against naming a recognised centre-forward in his starting lineup.

In truth, Slot's hand was somewhat forced given that Diogo Jota was unavailable for selection because of injury, not to mention the hectic fixture schedule which meant Nunez was rested - although the Uruguayan did make an appearance off the bench in the second half.

As a result, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai took turns in operating as the focal point in attack with Cody Gakpo and Luiz Diaz - who both got on the scoresheet at the Amex Stadium - taking up their usual positions out wide.

Recall: Darwin Nunez looks set to start for Liverpool against Brighton at Anfield this weekend

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Ultimately Slot’s decision was vindicated as his side scored three goals, but when discussing his different options for the No9 role, he dropped a major hint with regard to his team selection for the Premier League encounter against the Seagulls.

"The good thing was that when you look at our front line then we could play with two of our regular starters, with Cody Gakpo and Lucho Diaz," the Dutchman said. "They had a big impact on the scoresheet, of course.

"The way we filled in the No9 position [on Wednesday] was interesting to see because I think it worked out really well, but in the end I prefer to play with a real No9 – but it is maybe now an extra possibility that we have if we have injuries.

"Although maybe with Diogo Jota, who is also a bit of a nine-and-a-half, we implemented that style already, but to play with Curtis [Jones] and Dom [Szoboszlai], they are definitely midfielders and Diogo is a striker.

"So, it was good to see that we could score three goals, even without playing with an old-fashioned No9."

The fact that Slot's preference is to play with a real striker is a clear indication that Nunez will likely be restored to the starting lineup on Saturday, especially when taking into account that the Liverpool boss doesn't seem to want to use either Gakpo or Diaz in the centre-forward position and with Jota still sidelined.