Slot must boldly drop Mac Allister for Liverpool's "complete" midfielder

Liverpool face Newcastle United at Wembley this afternoon, looking to rebound from their midweek Champions League exit and win Arne Slot his first slice of silverware.

While falling against Paris Saint-Germain on penalties cut deep, Liverpool are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League and can claim the first part of a league and cup double by retaining their Carabao Cup crown.

However, last weekend against Southampton, Slot opted against heavy rotation after a gruelling first leg in Paris. At Anfield on Tuesday, Liverpool went 120 minutes and looked out on their feet by the finish.

Slot may want to field one or two changes against the Magpies.

Why Slot should make changes

Liverpool have played a lot of football over the past several months, and it certainly seemed like the slew of hard-fought matches came to a head in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Changes are needed this afternoon. Trent Alexander-Arnold jarred his ankle against PSG and will play no part; with Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez both out of action, Jarell Quansah will have to deputise at right-back.

Ibrahima Konate, however, has trained as normal. Slot can’t rotate him in any case, with a dearth of options promoting Wataru Endo to Liverpool’s alternative option at centre-back.

Eddie Howe has crafted a dynamic and robust side, and while Newcastle have injuries of their own, the likes of Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes are going to use their physicality to overwhelm a potentially tired Liverpool midfield.

To counteract this, Slot might want to make the bold call in dropping one of his tried-and-tested midfield three. Alexis Mac Allister, for example, was drained by the time he was hooked in extra-time against PSG.

Why Slot should drop Alexis Mac Allister

Mac Allister has played an awful lot of football recently, and while he’s among the most under-appreciated geniuses in the business, Slot may want to keep him on the sidelines until the second half at Wembley.

Especially when Curtis Jones can slot into the fray with ease. The Three Lions midfielder missed a penalty in the midweek shootout but is a dynamic and versatile player who has proved himself reliable within Slot’s system this season.

As you will see below, the 23-year-old’s ball-playing prowess and ability to shift forward, make a menace of himself and challenge the opposition suggests he could be Liverpool’s answer to Joelinton until Mac Allister gets unleashed in the second half.

Of course, Jones doesn’t boast the same raw power as the hulking Newcastle midfielder, but the technical similarities are clear, both being crisp and fluent players who drive forward and contribute with goals and assists.

Slot has also hailed him for his “complete” qualities in the engine room – exactly what Liverpool need to nestle in beside Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Mac Allister’s tough-tackling style would be missed in the opening half, to be sure, but Jones likes to get stuck in and could easily compensate, with the Argentine then introduced with fresh legs after the interval.

Newcastle are going to pack a punch at Wembley, and Liverpool are going to need to meet fire with fire.

Mac Allister is going to feel somewhat sapped after Tuesday’s contest and given how limp Liverpool looked in the closing stage, his influence and combativeness could be invaluable in steering the tie away from extra-time and penalties, giving his side that extra spark.

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