Liverpool's Predicted Lineups for Marseille Clash: Salah & Gomez Updates

Liverpool take on Marseille in the Champions League in the south of France on Wednesday night, and here are the Reds XIs our writers would pick It may be the least convincing 12-match unbeaten run in history, but nonetheless Liverpool are taking an impressive recent record to the south of France to take on Marseille on Wednesday. The Reds are also picking up their Champions League campaign having left it on a positive note with the 1-0 win over Inter Milan back in December, when Mohamed Salah had been dropped from the travelling squad after his infamous outburst at Leeds United. Salah is now back from Africa Cup of Nations duty though, and flew with the rest of the Reds squad to France on Tuesday ahead of the clash. But you put him in from the start this evening though? We asked our writers for the XIs they'd pick. Paul Gorst Arne Slot was cryptic enough in his pre-match press conference but I am going to say he offered enough to suggest that Mohamed Salah starts tonight. The Egypt captain hasn't been seen in a Liverpool strip since the victory over Brighton on December 13 and his return will be massively welcomed inside the camp, particularly given the side have struggled for cohesion and fluency in the final third in recent weeks. Having a man who scored over 30 goals last season and is the third highest marksman in Anfield history might just help on that front then, regardless of where you stand on his apparent defensive shortcomings. He has to start for me. It's unclear what the situation is regarding Ibrahima Konate just now, so let's play a cautious response to that one and give Joe Gomez the nod alongside Virgil van Dijk. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are my right and left-back respectively. The make-up of the midfield for me is Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Curtis Jones can rest up if needed on the bench. Up top, Hugo Ekitike starts and Florian Wirtz gets the nod over Cody Gakpo, who has struggled this season, it must be said. Wirtz offers more surety in possession, particularly if Liverpool can outnumber Marseille in central areas and he is also in form creatively too with goals and assists to his name in recent weeks. My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz. Ian Doyle The sense standards in football aren't particularly high this season may well be evidenced by Tottenham Hotspur on course for automatic qualification to the Champions League round of 16. Liverpool, though, have work to do if they are to keep track with the Londoners, not helped by their fixture list being overall somewhat more tricky than their Premier League rivals. It's Marseille away up next. What, then, is Reds boss Arne Slot to do? In reality, there's no need to change much. However, Joe Gomez will have to come in at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk with Ibrahima Konate likely to be absent. Alisson Becker stays in goal with Milos Kerkez left-back and Jeremie Frimpong right-back. In midfield, Curtis Jones enjoys this competition and can remain with Ryan Gravenberch as the double pivot with Dominik Szoboszlai the number 10. Mohamed Salah may be back but he can wait for a start. So it's Cody Gakpo on the left, Florian Wirtz down the right and Hugo Ekitike leading the attack. My team (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike. FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page Theo Squires Mohamed Salah returned to Liverpool training on Tuesday following the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations. And after listening to Arne Slot’s comments about the Egyptian at his pre-match press conference, I would not be surprised if the forward is handed an instant recall to the starting XI. The Reds have been unbeaten in their past 12 games since Salah was first benched, and the subsequent fall-out between coach and player has not been forgotten. But Liverpool have struggled for goals in his absence. Perhaps his return to the side can help something click in the final third? Salah’s return can see Dominik Szoboszlai start at number 10 with Florian Wirtz switching flank to the left-hand side. Hugo Ekitike continues upfront as he returns to his homeland with Liverpool for the first time. Alexis Mac Allister can come back into midfield in place of Curtis Jones. And with Ibrahima Konate missing training due to family reasons, I’m going to assume he won’t be available and start Joe Gomez at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk instead.