Liverpool boss Slot teases solution to Isak and Ekitike dilemma | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has teased the possibility of playing both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike up front together in the future.

Both forwards are competing for the no.9 spot after arriving at Anfield this past summer for massive transfer fees at a combined cost of £194 million, which could rise to £209m.

Isak made his long-awaited debut for the Reds on Wednesday as he started in the 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid before being replaced by Ekitike in the 58th minute.

Slot was tight-lipped about the possibility of the Sweden international starting again when they host Everton at Anfield in the Merseyside Derby this Saturday.

“I don’t think I tell the media a lot the day before a game,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “We had recovery yesterday and we are going to train this afternoon.

“First of all we just have to see how they all feel. All I know is Alex probably felt his body more than ever before after the 60 minutes he played so let’s see how he recovered today then we will see about the line-up later today and you will see tomorrow.”

Read – Everton looking to expose Liverpool ‘vulnerability’ in Merseyside Derby

Liverpool boss Slot discusses Isak and Ekitike selection dilemma

Although there is an expectation that only one or the other can play up top for Liverpool, Slot has not ruled out the possibility of them playing together.

The Dutchman suggested that Ekitike could play on the left side of a front three ahead of Cody Gakpo or Rio Ngumoha, or he could switch to a 4-4-2 formation and play both of them in a front two.

“I consider many things and it depends always on how well they are doing.

“If both of them are in the best form of their life then you consider more to play them together but it is quite clear that we have a certain structure of 4-3-3 but the amount of times the end phase where we have ended the game with two nines has happened a lot as well.

“Hugo can play from the left, different from the way Cody [Gakpo] and Rio [Ngumoha] do this and that’s the good thing about our squad.

“We have multiple options but first of all they all have to stay fit to have these options. If all of them are not fit then we may have to use them both in a 4-4-2 but that all depends on the form of them and how many players we have available.”

Read – How Alexander Isak ‘surprised’ Arne Slot on Liverpool debut

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