Tough decisions to avoid fifth loss in a row

GRAVENBERCH MISSING AS REDS GEAR UP FOR CRUCIAL EURO CLASH

- By THEO SQUIRES

ARNE SLOT will have to make at least one change to his Liverpool side that takes on Eintracht Frankfurt tonight.

Ryan Gravenberch was absent from the Reds' open training session yesterday, having been forced off with a twisted ankle against Manchester United, and is likely set for a spell on the sidelines as a result.

The Netherlands international had shaken off a minor hamstring injury suffered during the international break to start against the Red Devils, with it somewhat ironic that he was then struck down in his very next appearance.

Slot actually named an unchanged starting XI against United from the side that lost to Chelsea prior to the October international break. Such a decision admittedly prompted raised eyebrows.

But while the Dutchman will need to name a replacement for Gravenberch, it would be even more of a surprise if he was not considering multiple changes to his starting XI after seeing his side fall to a fourth defeat in a row.

Despite the Reds' recent poor form, Slot's squad was at least in good spirits in open training as they look to find a way to reverse the rut.

But they were not without an added competitive edge to proceedings too.

Having come in for criticism from a plethora of pundits, including Manchester United legends Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, following Liverpool's loss to the Red Devils, captain Virgil van Dijk led the way, sprinting away from his teammates at the front of the pack with the Dutchman eager to start training ahead of the Reds' trip to Germany.

In one exercise testing the players reflexes, the 34-year-old found himself up against two of his teammates as they were tasked with picking up a tennis ball from a cone to either their left or right before sprinting to the finish line.