West Ham v Liverpool team news: Salah + Darwin benched

Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez are benched for Liverpool’s Gameweek 35 curtain-raiser at West Ham United.

Kick-off in the capital is at 12:30 BST.

It’s now two benchings in three for the Reds’ misfiring duo, who were named among the substitutes at Fulham last weekend.

The pair then blanked in the Merseyside derby in midweek.

Whether they’ve paid the price for the dip in form or fatigue has influenced Jurgen Klopp’s selection, Salah and Darwin are among five players who drop out of their manager’s starting XI.

Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones also move down to the visitors’ bench.

In come Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, Jarrell Quansah and Cody Gakpo.

Klopp confirmed ahead of kick-off that Elliott would line up in a front three with Gakpo and Luis Diaz.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson do keep their places, however. This is their fourth start in ten days.

As for the hosts, David Moyes makes two changes to the side that lost 5-2 to Crystal Palace a week ago.

Jarrod Bowen returns after missing out last week with a back injury, replacing the benched James Ward-Prowse.

There’s also a change between the posts as a fully fit Alphonse Areola comes in for Lucasz Fabianski.

Konstantinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd are still sidelined, so Angelo Ogbonna continues in a creaky-looking back four.

GAMEWEEK 35 LINE-UPS

West Ham United XI: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Emerson, Soucek, Alvarez, Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus, Antonio.

Subs: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Ward-Prowse, Phillips, Cornet, Ings, Casey, Mubama.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Quansah, Robertson, MacAllister, Endo, Gravenberch, Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz.

Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Konate, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Salah, Jones, Tsimikas, Bajcetic.

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