Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk rested as Liverpool take second string to PSV

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has opted to take a second-string squad to face PSV Eindhoven and leave the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker at home.

Seven successive wins mean progress is already secured as the Champions League leaders are guaranteed to finish no lower than second and will claim top spot with a point in the Netherlands.

Saturday’s trip to high-flying Bournemouth is the priority, with a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League to extend or protect, and Slot has decided to rest nine of the players who started in the 4-1 win over Ipswich at the weekend for the eighth game of a nine-match run in 27 days.

Only Andy Robertson and former PSV forward Cody Gakpo are retained from Saturday’s starting line-up, which means the other senior players left on Merseyside are Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz.

It means academy players Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni, both of whom have made first-team appearances this season, Kieran Morrison, Isaac Mabaya, Trent Kone-Doherty, Amara Nallo, James Norris and James McConnell have all travelled.

Defender Joe Gomez returned to training on Tuesday after missing seven matches with a hamstring injury but he too has remained on Merseyside to continue his recovery.

Midfielder Curtis Jones, who missed Saturday’s win over Ipswich with a groin problem, and striker Diogo Jota, who has been out for a fortnight with a muscle injury, have yet to rejoin the squad.