Florian Wirtz warned he could be benched by Liverpool 'in the near future' after difficulties adapting to the Premier League

Wirtz was the main man at former club Bayer Leverkusen prior to his £116 million ($156m) move to Anfield early in the summer transfer window. But it hasn't been smooth sailing since rocking up at Liverpool, yet to complete a full game in any competition.

Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park was the earliest that Wirtz has been brought off, and it came when Liverpool were 1-0 down and chasing a goal. Slot replaced him with Federico Chiesa and it was the Italian who went on to grab the equaliser – not that it mattered in the end.

Wirtz had previously been starting centrally in the No. 10 role, but he had to make do with coming off the bench in the Merseyside derby and began on the left against Crystal Palace.

In a column for The Times, former Chelsea, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino suggested it is "damning" that Wirtz's minutes and impact is reducing, rather than increasing.

"The fact that Wirtz has been replaced in all of his Liverpool starts thus far is damning and suggests that Slot may have some concerns over his performances," he said.

"It's not as if Wirtz is carrying a knock or lacking match sharpness; he played with Liverpool during pre-season and completed two full matches with Germany during the previous international break."

There is always going to be a bedding in period for any player who moves internationally, getting used to a new country and environment. But when such a huge transfer fee has been involved, fans are less willing to be patient as they wait to see results.

"There is no doubt about the ability of a player like Wirtz," Cascarino reasoned.

"We all witnessed how he pulled the strings for Bayer Leverkusen when they went unbeaten to win their first Bundesliga title in 2023-24. That player hasn't showed up in England however, and on Saturday [against Palace] Wirtz was constantly getting caught on the ball and was unable to connect the intricate passes that have previously made him such a threat. At Leverkusen, you would see Wirtz pick up the ball in midfield and glide past players before being decisive in the final third, but that has deserted him at Liverpool.

"The Premier League is more physically demanding than the Bundesliga, and Wirtz is struggling to adapt to its intensity. He has been too easy for opponents to shrug off the ball, and has struggled to cope with the lack of time and space opponents have given him. There have been brief flashes against Palace in the Community Shield and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, but these have been too few and far between."

Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently suggested that he thinks Wirtz would have been better off staying in Germany this summer, moving to the Allianz Arena instead.

"I have to honestly say, I still feel sorry for Florian Wirtz because I think the player would be better off at Bayern Munich than at Liverpool," Bayern's former CEO said.

Wirtz already didn't start against Everton and has seen his position changed, with Cascarino warning that being more permanently benched could be just around the corner.

"He could find himself not starting games in the near future if he continues to underwhelm," the retired forward-turned media personality warned.

"Hugo Ekitike has been the best of Liverpool's signings, but Isak will start up front, so the Frenchman could find himself as an option on the left. With Liverpool's frailties in midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai may be a better fit than Wirtz alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister."