Liverpool suffered a Premier League title blow then they were beaten at fellow contenders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
Gabriel’s own-goal equaliser wasn’t enough as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard netted for the Londoners to send the Reds tumbling to a 3-1 reverse.
Liverpool must now look to embark on another unbeaten run when they entertain Burnley on Saturday afternoon. And here we look ahead to the changes Jurgen Klopp could make when his team are next in action.
With the Reds appearing jaded at the Emirates, there are likely to be a host of changes even though there won’t be a midweek game with which to contend.
There will certainly be one alteration, with Ibrahima Konate serving a one-match suspension after his red card at the weekend. Jarell Quansah is favourite to step in alongside Virgil van Dijk at centre-back, with Joe Gomez most likely needed elsewhere in the defence. Joel Matip is out for the season.
Gomez could be an option at either left-back or right-back, with big calls to be made on whether Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are fit enough to start. Kostas Tsimikas, another left-back option, is still out, while on the other flank Conor Bradley could remain missing on compassionate leave.
Alisson Becker, despite his rare errors against Arsenal, will be expected to remain in goal. Caoimhin Kelleher is the first-choice reserve ahead of Adrian.
The return of Thiago Alcantara at the Emirates after eight months out was timely with Dominik Szoboszlai having suffered another hamstring problem that ruled him out against Arsenal. Liverpool are waiting to determine the extent of the damage.
Thiago, though, is unlikely to be considered ready for a start against Burnley. Wataru Endo, though, should be available having jetted back from the Asia Cup in Qatar with Japan eliminated on Saturday by Iran in the quarter-finals.
Endo offers Klopp the possibility of returning as the number six and pushing Alexis Mac Allister further forward. Curtis Jones has been a regular midfield starter when available and would be most likely to continue in that case, whether to the left or right of Endo.
Should Mac Allister stay as the defensive midfielder, Klopp does have other options, with Ryan Gravenberch – among many to underperform at Arsenal – having recently started on both sides of the engine room and Harvey Elliott to the right. Youngsters James McConnell and Bobby Clark have also both featured for the first team in recent weeks, but Stefan Bajcetic remains sidelined.
Arsenal was arguably the first game in which the absence of Mohamed Salah was keenly felt. And having missed the last seven games, the Egyptian is back working on the pitch and could have a chance of returning this weekend.
If not, the main question will be over who lines up on the right, with Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Elliott all having had a go in recent weeks and Ben Doak injured.
Diaz has become an important member of the front three and can also feature on the left, where he will compete with Jota, Gakpo and Darwin Nunez for a start. That trio can also operate down the centre, with Liverpool hoping Nunez is fully recovered from the foot problem suffered against Chelsea last week that contributed to him not starting at Arsenal.
