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  "path": "/2026/03/09/big-decision-arne-slot-urged-drop-liverpool-star-champions-league-27323633/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-09T14:30:02.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Alan Shearer",
    "Andy Robertson",
    "Arne Slot",
    "Champions League",
    "Galatasaray",
    "Gary Lineker",
    "Liverpool FC",
    "Micah Richards",
    "Milos Kerkez",
    "Premier League",
    "Liverpool",
    "suffered a shock defeat to Premier League basement boys Wolves last week",
    "FA Cup",
    "Sign up here",
    "£40m move from Bournemouth last summer",
    "The Rest is Football podcast",
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    "losing 1-0 thanks to Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty",
    "check our sport page",
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  "textContent": "Liverpool are preparing for the Champions League knockout stages (Picture: Getty)\n\nArne Slot has been urged to make a ‘big decision’ by dropping a Liverpool player for the knockout stages of the Champions League.\n\nDespite producing a fairly dismal Premier League title defence – slipping to sixth in the table – Liverpool have impressed in Europe, finishing third in the Champions League group phase.\n\nThe Reds won six of their eight group games and were rewarded with a winnable last-16 tie against Galatasaray.\n\nWhile Galatasaray boast a four-point lead at the top of the Turkish Super Lig, they finished just 20th in the Champions League, losing half of their group matches.\n\nLiverpool will therefore be expected to advance at the expense of Galatasaray, with the first leg of the last-16 tie taking place in Turkey on Tuesday night.\n\nLiverpool suffered a shock defeat to Premier League basement boys Wolves last week before returning to winning ways against the same opposition in the FA Cup.\n\nAndy Robertson starred in the recent game, scoring Liverpool’s opener before setting up Mohamed Salah’s goal just two minutes later.\n\n##  Your football fix\n\n**Metro** 's Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week's biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.\n\nSign up here, it's an open goal.\n\nLiverpool legend Andy Robertson (Picture: Getty)\n\nMilos Kerkez has predominately played ahead of Robertson since his £40m move from Bournemouth last summer but Alan Shearer and Micah Richards both believe the experienced Scot should be picked for Liverpool’s Champions League games.\n\nRobertson has made over 350 appearances for Liverpool over the past decade, helping the Anfield club win two Premier League titles, the Champions League and three domestic cups.\n\n‘Let’s get a full-back’s perspective on one of the Premier League’s great full-backs, Andy Robertson,’ Gary Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.\n\nLiverpool signed Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth last summer (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘Do you think he should have played more this season? It’s easy to say in hindsight because they obviously spend a few bob on Milos Kerkez and he struggled a little bit. But I think they’ve really missed Robertson.’\n\nEx-Manchester City and England defender Richards replied: ‘I think the feeling amongst Liverpool fans was that they needed to get someone in.\n\n‘So I think they did the right thing signing Kerkez. It’s the output that Robertson does, he’s up and down and up and down, but he’s in his 30s now and there was some games last season that it became a problem.\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\n‘So I think it was right to get Kerkez but I would have played Robertson more, especially in the bigger games, because of his experience and knowing that position.\n\n‘Kerkez was outstanding at Bournemouth and we all thought he would fit in seamlessly but he was quite reckless and rash at the start.\n\n‘He’s grown into it but in the big games I would still play Robertson and if I needed more energy I would go with Kerkez.’\n\nGalatasaray had a mixed Champions League group phase (Picture: Getty)\n\nPremier League record goalscorer Shearer added: ‘He’s got a big decision to make when they play Galatasaray away. After Robertson’s performance, Slot has a big decision to make.’\n\nRichards then said: ‘You’ve got to play Andy Robertson. Just for his knowhow and experience in such a big game. I would definitely play Robertson, without a doubt.’\n\nShearer agreed with Richards, saying: ‘That’s what I would do, yeah.’\n\nLiverpool visited Galatasaray in the group stage of the Champions League, losing 1-0 thanks to Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty.\n\nThe two European giants have met five times in total, with Galatasaray winning two of those games to Liverpool’s one.\n\nThe winner of this last-16 tie will face either Champions League holders PSG or Club World Cup winners Chelsea in the quarter-finals.\n\nIn-between their last-16 legs against Galatasaray, Liverpool will look to boost their top-four hopes against Premier League relegation-battlers Tottenham.\n\n**For more stories like this,check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook, **Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments  Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source ",
  "title": "‘Big decision’ – Arne Slot urged to drop Liverpool star for Champions League"
}