Liverpool will soon make the long trip to Plymouth in the FA Cup, and the hosts will be without their joint-top goalscorer after he was sold amid a war of words.
A 600-mile roundtrip awaits Liverpool next weekend, with Plymouth playing host in the FA Cup fourth round on February 9.
Forty-three places separate Arne Slot‘s side at the top of the Premier League table and the Championship’s cellar dwellers, who have just sold one of their top goalscorers.
Forward Morgan Whittaker completed a £5 million transfer to Championship rivals Middlesbrough late last week after four goals in 2024/25 – the same return as winger Mustapha Bundu.
Whittaker made the Championship Team of the Season last year after netting 20 times in 50 games, and his club-record sale has proved a dramatic one between the forward and the Plymouth manager.
Manager Miron Muslic suggested the forward had chosen not to play in the 5-0 defeat to Burnley last week ahead of his move, saying he was a no-show despite being named in the team.
“Morgan didn’t show up, he was in the selection,” Muslic, who recently replaced Wayne Rooney, said. “We had a game today, he was in the selection, he wasn’t there, and that’s everything I have to say on Morgan.
“We need players who really want to play for Argyle so we can always come to them when we need players, who are ready to give everything.”
Whittaker has since refuted the claims that he refused to play in a statement released to fans, saying the backlash he has since received has been “devastating.”
“To have my character, my mindset and my commitment to the game insulted is very upsetting to me,” he penned in a lengthy statement on Instagram.
“I have always made myself available for selection, I have always trained and I have ALWAYS given my all for Plymouth. I even trained happily the next day.”
It is another headline that Plymouth could have done without in what has been a season of struggle so far, with six wins in 32 games across all competitions.
Liverpool’s visit comes after the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and before the Merseyside derby, with plenty of rotation to be expected from Slot.
