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Potter to line up Ireland star Shane Duffy up for unenviable task – marking Mo Salah at Anfield

Brighton's Irish defender Shane Duffy battles with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during a match at Anfield. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Expand

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Brighton's Irish defender Shane Duffy battles with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during a match at Anfield. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Brighton's Irish defender Shane Duffy battles with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during a match at Anfield. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Brighton's Irish defender Shane Duffy battles with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during a match at Anfield. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Aidan Fitzmaurice

Brighton may ask Ireland man Shane Duffy to take on the toughest task in football – and face up to the in-form Mo Salah at Anfield tomorrow.

Duffy’s run of Premier League starts was ended when he was dropped to the bench for last week’s 4-1 loss to champions Manchester City. He started in midweek in the Carabao Cup tie and could return to the starting XI for the trip to Merseyside, as defender Dan Burn suffered an injury in that cup clash with Leicester, where Brighton were beaten on penalties.

Salah has scored in his last 10 consecutive appearances for the Reds and manager Graham Potter is aware of the threat from the Egypt star but will recall Derry native Duffy if he sees fit.

“Shane didn’t play against Manchester City but he played on Wednesday night and he can certainly play at the weekend, so I have some options,” Potter said, proud of the fact that his side won on their last away game against Liverpool, albeit at an empty stadium.

“Anfield with a crowd is a completely different animal. We’re facing the best team in the world. They attack so well, Jurgen Klopp’s amazing, but it’s a great test, a great challenge. We’re looking forward to it.

“At the moment he [Salah] is not world class, he out-of-this-world class! He is producing in all the big games too – Chelsea, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United.

“But, unfortunately for us, it’s not just him who is a top, top player for Liverpool. It’s a team. These top teams have wonderful individual players but they are also a unit and a team and we must try to deal with that.”

Liverpool are still assessing the fitness of keeper Caoimhín Kelleher, who missed out on the chance to play against Preston in the League Cup in midweek due to injury, where Adrian stood in when Alisson was rested,

Reds coach Pepijn Lijnders admitted that the Cork native had a “setback” which ruled him out of their squad for the win over Manchester United and the tie with Preston.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Ireland fans will receive 1,000 tickets for the final match of the World Cup qualifying campaign on November 14 in Luxembourg.

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