Danny Murphy claims Arne Slot could start £4m Liverpool player against Chelsea on Saturday

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Danny Murphy has backed a £4million player to be brought into Liverpool’s starting line-up against Chelsea this weekend.

Liverpool are heading into the final game before the upcoming international break after consecutive defeats against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray.

Losing has been unusual for Arne Slot’s side due to how dominant they have been since he replaced Jurgen Klopp, but they will be keen not to extend that run to three games.

The Reds will be without Hugo Ekitike and Alisson Becker due to injuries, and Murphy believes it’s time to allow a squad member to start.

Danny Murphy believes Joe Gomez should start against Chelsea

Slot will be forced to make several changes to his team this weekend due to the injuries within his squad, but he could also look to make one due to performance-related issues.

Ibrahima Konate has not been having his strongest season in a Liverpool shirt, and Murphy revealed to talkSPORT that he would start Joe Gomez ahead of him this weekend.

“He’s struggling (Konate). He’s had the odd good game, but he’s struggling. And I don’t know whether that’s a mental thing because of the lack, you know, he’s not signed the deals, a lot of speculation.

“I don’t know if he’s been tapped up. I don’t know if he’s just lacking confidence. No, he’s struggling. Yeah. The fans are on him a little bit, but for a long time, he’s been very good.

“So everyone can have a bad spell. Let’s just, the problem is without getting Guehi, of course, that they’ve only got Gomez, who can come in, and he’s not quite as physically powerful as Konate.

“But he might come in on the weekend against Chelsea.”

Liverpool fans criticised Konate for his performance against Crystal Palace, and the pressure building on him could lead to Slot making a tweak at the back.

Liverpool’s defensive struggles might lead to Arne Slot making a change

Even though Liverpool sit top of the Premier League this season, they have struggled defensively throughout the entire campaign in all competitions.

Despite Virgil van Dijk being considered one of the world’s best defenders, the Reds have conceded seven goals in their opening six Premier League fixtures.

Only Chelsea and Brighton have conceded more in the top half of the table this season, which is why Slot must address this issue.

Even in the Champions League and the EFL Cup, Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet, and a change in personnel might solve this problem.