Arne Slot has no choice but to give 'outstanding' Liverpool player a rare start against RB Leipzig - opinion
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Liverpool head to Leipzig in good spirits on Wednesday after seeing off Chelsea at the weekend.
The Reds have embarked on an excruciatingly difficult run of fixtures following the latest international break, which has the potential to make or break their season.
If Liverpool can come out of the next dozen games or so in good shape, then they’ll have a chance of doing something special under Arne Slot this term.
But with big matches coming in the Champions League and Premier League, some poor results could recalibrate expectations for the campaign.
After navigating past Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool are set to put their perfect Champions League record to the test against RB Leipzig in Germany.
With an enormous looking game away at Arsenal coming next weekend, Slot will be grappling with exactly how best to rotate the Liverpool squad. As Arsenal loom, though, one necessary change is staring the Liverpool head coach right in the face.
Jarell Quansah must return against RB Leipzig
Slot has so far been notable for not wishing to make too many changes to his team from game to game at Liverpool.
However, with such a tricky run coming up and with games every three or four days, that is going to have to change. Slot is going to need all of his players.
One who has barely featured up until this point has been Liverpool academy graduate Jarell Quansah.
Quansah was deemed ‘outstanding’ during pre-season and had looked to cement his starting spot next to Virgil van Dijk heading into the campaign.
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But having been dragged off at half-time during Slot’s first Premier League game in charge, Quansah has only made one more appearance since; a 90-minute display in which he scored an own goal in the Carabao Cup against West Ham.
In fairness to Slot, Ibrahima Konate has been in imperious form and you cannot drop Van Dijk. As a result, it has been hard for Quansah to get back in.
Wednesday should really mark a change from that, though. Although Konate has held up brilliantly so far this season, he is mightily prone to injuries. Liverpool badly need him fit for Arsenal on Sunday and should be wary of loading too much on the Frenchman.
Van Dijk has also played a lot of football and could perhaps do with a rest. One will play, no doubt about that, but the other slot should be filled by Quansah.
Can Jarell Quansah earn regular starting spot?
If Quansah does get the nod against Leipzig on Wednesday it will be his first ever appearance in the Champions League.
The 21-year-old got plenty of experience in the Europa League last season, though, and with 18 Premier League games under his belt looks more than ready for the step up.
But even if Slot does choose to field Quansah – and we really think he will – it seems unlikely that it will be the start of a prolonged run in the side.
Of course, the Dutch coach does need to rotate over the upcoming games and everyone will get their chance. However, Konate and Van Dijk is clearly Slot’s preferred partnership.
With some massive games during this run, the head coach will want to get his number one and two on the pitch together as often as possible. All Jarell can do if given the nod is show that Slot can rely on him whenever he needs to. That should start in Leipzig on Wednesday.
