Florian Wirtz is a surprising omission from Liverpool's matchday squad as they prepare to face Chelsea at Anfield this Saturday afternoon. The German star was expected to feature but has been ruled out due to illness.

Manager Arne Slot made three changes to his starting XI following last weekend's defeat to Manchester United. Wirtz is one of those dropped, with Rio Ngumoha taking his place on the left flank. Slot revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that the 23-year-old had been "a bit unwell" during the week but trained with the squad two days ago. Unfortunately, his ailment has flared up again.

According to BBC Sport, which reported the news shortly after line-ups were announced 75 minutes before kick-off, "the word from Anfield is that Florian Wirtz is not involved for Liverpool today because of a stomach bug." The Reds' number 7 seemed to have recovered from his earlier illness, but it wasn't meant to be.

Wirtz's absence is a significant blow for Liverpool, especially with Mo Salah and Hugo Ekitike also unavailable. The attacking trio will need to step up to fill the void. On the bright side, Alexander Isak is fit enough to make the substitutes' bench, giving Slot more options than he had at Old Trafford six days ago. The inclusion of Ngumoha in the starting XI should also excite the Anfield faithful.

While Wirtz had a criticized performance against Manchester United last weekend, his creativity and presence in the final third will be missed. Liverpool's attackers now face the challenge of compensating for his absence in this crucial Premier League clash.