Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest live: Team news and line-ups ahead of Premier League clash

Forest boss Sean Dyche has chosen the exact same starting XI as the one that beat Leeds 3-1 before the international break.

Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic anchor the back four as usual, with Eliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare anchoring midfield.

Dan Ndoye and Nicolás Domínguez flank Morgan Gibbs-White on the wings, while Igor Jesus starts up front once again.

Arne Slot has made five changes to the side that lost to City before the international break.

Alisson makes his return ahead of Mamardashvili in goal, while the injured Conor Bradley is replaced by Curtis Jones, with Dominik Szoboszlai moving back into right-back. At left-back, Milos Kerkez takes the place of Andy Robertson.

The injured Florian Wirtz makes way for Cody Gakpo on the left wing, while Alexander Isak returns up front in place of Hugo Ekitike.

Forest XI: Sels; Savona, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Jesus.

Subs: John, Morato, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, Hutchinson, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee, Boly.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah Mac Allister, Gakpo; Isak.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Chiesa, Ekitike, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsey, Ngumoha.

Will be confirmed in the next few minutes.

Liverpool would have walked away from contract talks with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk and let them leave on free transfers if they had asked for too much money, chairman Tom Werner revealed.

Salah, the third highest scorer in Liverpool’s history, and captain Van Dijk both signed new two-year deals in April, less than three months before the end of their previous contracts and after sagas that lasted for much of the season in which the Egyptian had claimed he was “more out than in” and when the club risked losing both.

Jamie Carragher has called on Liverpool to return to the transfer market in January despite coming off a summer of record spending.

Liverpool racked up a £450m outlay on players in the summer window, breaking their transfer record twice as they signed Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, along with Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni.

However, things have far from gone to plan for the defending Premier League champions this term, going on a run of six consecutive losses on English soil as their hopes of retaining the title took a seismic hit before Christmas.

The Premier League table may show Nottingham Forest in 19th, only above winless Wolves, but Sean Dyche says there are “good signs” that something positive is building after the win against Leeds.

“There were good signs after the Leeds game of that feeling, not just with a performance and result, but also the connection that you get after the game and that good feeling in the camp and around the club,” Dyche said.

Injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong leaves Arne Slot with a decision to make at right back, with Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai all potential options.

“He (Szoboszlai) is doing so well in every position,” Slot said on Friday. “He played really well as a full-back and a midfielder.

“Curtis Jones played there last season, Joe Gomez has played there as well but Joe Gomez has played, I think if I’m correct, 90 minutes twice throughout 2025.

Challenging but the good thing is we have enough good players available and maybe one of two of them have to play in positions they maybe don’t. That’s what we have to do.”

Liverpool have been hit with a double injury blow with Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley both out for the next few games.

And manager Arne Slot is without a specialist right-back as both Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong are likely to be sidelined for at least three weeks and seven games.

The £100m man Wirtz, who is yet to get a Premier League goal or assist for Liverpool, has had another setback in his difficult start to life at Anfield.

But goalkeeper Alisson is fit again and Slot has confirmed he is set to start against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, meaning Giorgi Mamardashvili would drop to the bench despite saving a penalty from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in his last match.