Dugout Discussion

Salah misses out as Alisson and de Gea recover from injury to start

The only Premier League match to take place this Sunday is a big one, with league leaders Liverpool hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the season against old foes Manchester United.

Kick-off at Old Trafford is at 16:30 BST.

The headline team news sees Mohamed Salah (£12.4m) miss out through injury, with Jurgen Klopp telling Sky Sports ahead of the match:

Mo was not ready, that’s how it is. He couldn’t train with the team; I don’t know where it came from that everybody said he will play. There was pretty much no chance for today, maybe for Wednesday [in the Champions League], we have to see.

With Salah missing out, Sadio Mane (£11.8m) and Roberto Firmino (£9.6m) are joined in a front three by Divock Origi (£5.3m).

Alisson (£5.8m) and Joel Matip (£5.5m) have been passed fit to play, however, and rejoin the visitors’ backline in place of Adrian (£4.6m) and Dejan Lovren (£5.3m).

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m), Andrew Robertson (£6.9m) and Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) maintain their ever-present records in the top flight this season.

Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having said he was unlikely to play, David de Gea (£5.5m) has recovered from the groin injury that he sustained on international duty and takes his place between the posts for the Red Devils.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.4m) has also recovered from tonsillitis, joining what may well be a back five for the hosts given that Ashley Young (£5.4m), Marcos Rojo (£4.8m), Harry Maguire (£5.4m) and Victor Lindelof (£5.4m) all start.

Luke Shaw (£5.4m) has failed to recover, however, while Paul Pogba (£8.4m) misses out as expected.

Anthony Martial (£7.5m) is fit enough to be among the substitutes and joins Mason Greenwood (£4.4m) on the bench.

With Martial not in the starting XI, Marcus Rashford (£8.4m) looks set to lead the line again.

The corresponding fixture to this game ended 0-0 in 2018/19.

This re-match indeed sees a meeting between the two sides with the best expected goals conceded (xGC) tallies in the top flight, although that tightness in defence hasn’t translated into too many clean sheets: United and Liverpool have just two each so far this season.

At the other end of the pitch, the Red Devils have the third-worst xG from open play among Premier League clubs.

Mane was the most-bought player of Gameweek 9, with Salah the most-sold.

Wan-Bissaka and de Gea were also shipped out by almost 400,000 Fantasy managers combined.

Salah was the fifth-most-captained player of Gameweek 9, although it’s probably fair to assume that a decent chunk of the 634,160 FPL bosses who handed him the armband may have given up the ghost already.

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelöf, Rojo, Young, McTominay, Fred, Pereira, James, Rashford.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Mané, Firmino, Origi.

1,461 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Clear handball, VAR should rule it out.

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      As a non Mane owner I agree

      1. Debauchy
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Damn

  2. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    NOOooooOOoo i need this goal

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Haha same here

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      It's not about you.

      1. Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Alright calm down. You have him too do you not?

        1. TorresMagic™
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Yeah, too much I I I

  3. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    This should be disallowed imo

  4. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Ohh wat a delightful 45 mins 🙂

  5. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    VAR - No goal.

  6. Epic Fail
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Phew 😀

  7. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Fair decision.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Agree

    2. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yep , they get few right

  8. FPL_Sponge
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    As non Mane owner I love VAR

  9. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Rightfully VAR. Shut up Klop

  10. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    The ref is useless

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Missed both incidents

    2. TAT
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Atkinson is too old to be a PL ref.

    3. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      He can't do everything. That's why they have var. They just need to use it better knowing that refs are often wrong/bad

    4. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Touched his arm, so it's a foul. It's the rules you must have a problem with.

      1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I think bemba means that the ref didn't see it when it's his job to

  11. Poseidon.
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Mane thinking he can basically catch it and run with it in his hands before putting it down and finishing

    1. Eleven Hag
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Lol

  12. SirStevieG
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Hahaha but you're allowed to kick players. Of course.

    1. Pariße
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      yup, a ref’s mistake that VAR cannot solve.

  13. George Sillett
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    VAR gets one correct at least .

    1. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      This yeehaa..
      So many wrong this weekend though

  14. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Right decision. Should be 0-0 imo

  15. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Get in. Mane was the last person this GW I wanted scoring 😀

    1. FPL_Sponge
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      It’s not over yet.....

  16. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Just disallow all goals. Nobody should be allowed to score ever again. All games to end 0-0

    1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Big at the back is back!

  17. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    now that is funny

  18. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    This sucks for Mane owners but fair tbh

  19. adibo
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Klopp is always complaining

  20. HurriKane
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Great escape for salah owners

    Mane nearly

  21. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Just like old times

  22. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Bloody hell

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Right decision, though.

  23. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Lindelof is pretty bad. Can't wait until Axel is back.

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yep, has to be first choice now.

  24. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    We LOVE VAR!

  25. Reiger
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Good call once again by VAR. Clear hand ball.

  26. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Liverpool can't cheat anymore

    1. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Do me a favour mate. Tell me what inspires you to post shite like this. Thanks.

  27. FOO FIGHTER
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Going to be an interesting finish to this game.

    1. Reiger
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      A true VAR-fest!

  28. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Klopp needs to spend less time complaining and more time trying to fix the tactics

  29. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Load o bollocks

  30. Gentle_Turks
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    VAR you beauty!!!