Liverpool XI vs. Wolves: Wirtz Dilemma Continues—Injury News, Predicted Lineup

Molineux, Tuesday night: Liverpool arrive chasing a fourth straight Premier League win, but the lingering absence of Florian Wirtz clouds an otherwise upbeat Reds camp. The German attacking midfielder, sidelined since tweaking his back in the warm-up at Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago, is not expected to rejoin the squad, leaving Arne Slot to juggle his creative options once more.

Saturday’s 5-2 dismantling of West Ham United kept momentum rolling at Anfield, even if the scoreline was kinder than the balance of play suggested. Set-piece dominance again proved decisive, yet the manager knows Wolves, revitalised under Rob Edwards, represent a different proposition. Edwards’ side climbed off the foot of the table and beyond Derby’s infamous low-points watermark by toppling Aston Villa on Friday, hinting at late-season resistance few predicted.

The medical bulletin elsewhere is mixed. Jeremie Frimpong returned as a substitute against the Hammers, but Liverpool will handle the Dutch wing-back carefully; another cameo rather than a full throttle start is likely. Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni remain longer-term casualties, though Swedish striker Isak could be back training by early April after December’s leg fracture. No new knocks emerged from the weekend rout.

With Wirtz unavailable, Slot is expected to stick with the XI that has steadied the ship. Alisson retains the gloves despite seeing his short clean-sheet streak snapped by Tomáš Souček’s close-range finish. Joe Gomez should continue at right-back, trusted to manage a heavy schedule while Frimpong regains full sharpness. Central defence pairs the resurgent Ibrahima Konaté—whose steady displays have prompted fresh contract talks—with evergreen captain Virgil van Dijk, a perennial set-piece menace for the opposition.

Andy Robertson is set for another start at left-back, though with six fixtures looming before the March international break Milos Kerkez will be rotated in soon. Ryan Gravenberch anchors midfield, having become an almost ever-present under Slot, alongside Alexis Mac Allister, who has rediscovered scoring form with goals in back-to-back league outings and eyes a third. Dominik Szoboszlai continues in the advanced role, liberated from wide duties to orchestrate in the half-spaces where he has flourished this term.

On the flanks Mohamed Salah hopes to shrug off a quiet afternoon against West Ham; his personal ledger versus Wolves is modest by his standards—six in 14—but his mere presence demands attention. Cody Gakpo, fresh from another productive showing against the Londoners, keeps the left-wing berth, while Hugo Ekitiké spearheads the attack after breaking a four-match scoreless streak with a goal and two assists last time out.

Kick-off approaches with Liverpool mindful that a side supposedly adrift have lately discovered both belief and points. Whether Slot’s Reds can keep the run alive may depend on how effectively they solve the Wirtz-shaped hole in creativity—and whether Wolves’ renaissance has enough steam to upset the champions.

Alisson, Gomez, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Ekitiké: that is the likely line-up, the same that finished the weekend in such swagger. Yet football has a habit of punishing presumption, and Molineux on a chilly Tuesday is precisely the sort of stage where title-chasing teams can stumble.

Liverpool, for all their recent comfort, cannot afford another slip if the chase is to stay alive.