Liverpool boss Arne Slot will be hoping that as many as three of his stars can impress him against AC Milan, with the Reds desperate to bounce back from their surprise 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Many had expected Slot’s side to coast to a comfortable victory at Anfield over Forest, but Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goal left them red-faced, with questions raised for the first time this season about Liverpool.
Their attack faltered for the first time against Nuno Espirito Santo’s outfit and with Federico Chiesa among those waiting in the wings, Liverpool’s trip to Milan could be a pivotal match for several players.
Express Sport has taken a look at three stars who will be looking over their shoulders in Italy.
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Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota has started the season in a central position, but failed to score in his last three games, with disappointing performances against Forest and Manchester United.
He could even be taken out of the starting lineup to face the Serie A giants, despite Slot’s dismissal of the idea that more rotation has been needed. Darwin Nunez will be knocking on the door for his first start of the season if Jota continues to underwhelm.
Darwin Nunez
If Nunez is to stake a claim to Slot that he deserves to start through the middle from the off, he needs to take his chances off the bench.
The Uruguayan has promised so much since his arrival from Benfica in 2022, but often flattered to deceive. His two weeks on the training ground with Slot is likely to endear him more to the Dutchman though.
Having been suspended for his country over the international break, Nunez stayed behind on Merseyside while his team-mates competed for their countries, getting the opportunity to work closely with his new head coach.
What matters is Nunez’s performances on the pitch though, which will need to drastically improve, starting against AC Milan.
Cody Gakpo
Cody Gakpo had been tipped for a breakthrough season under his fellow Dutchman Slot and another barnstorming international tournament for the Netherlands.
Luis Diaz’s strong start to the campaign has kept Gakpo from regular minutes on the left, forcing him to compete with Jota and Nunez for minutes as a striker.
But Gakpo has accumulated just 82 minutes through four substitute appearances so far this season and has not contributed with a goal or an assist in that time on the pitch.
The 25-year-old may need to impress off the bench in order to work his way back into Slot’s thinking, with no better place to start than in Milan on Tuesday evening.
