Lineup Shuffle for Leeds vs. Liverpool: Salah Drops, Wirtz Shines in Premier League Tease

Lineups announced

Liverpool and Leeds United have named their starting XIs for a Premier League showdown on Saturday, the 15th round of the season.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot continued to omit Mohamed Salah from the XI, preferring German youngster Florian Wirtz.

Slot also favored French striker Hugo Ekitike over Sweden's Alexander Isak, while Dutchman Cody Gakpo retained his place on the left.

Argentine Alexis Mac Allister started on the bench, with Englishman Curtis Jones set to come into midfield.

Here are the lineups for the match.

Leeds United's lineup features a spine of defenders and attackers including Perry, Godmondson, Rodon, Bigul, Stroyik, Ambadu, Grof, Stack, Okafor, and Calvert-Lewin.

Liverpool's XI includes Alisson, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkiz, Gravenberch, Jones, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, and Ekitike.

Matchday context

The lineups set the stage for a tactical contest with Slot’s and Salah’s absence adding an extra layer of intrigue as both teams chase Premier League points.

Expect a night of quick transitions, intelligent pressing, and perhaps a surprise cameo from the bench as managers test new combinations.

Punchline time: Slot’s lineups are so precise, even the ball ducking at the whistle would get a yellow card.

Punchline 2: If bench-warming were an art, tonight’s show would be a masterclass—Jimmy the Sub has never looked so ready for a starring role.