Liverpool are still without at least two important figures for the trip to Southampton on Sunday, with a similar lineup expected to the one that played Aston Villa.
The Reds are back after the tedium of the international break and make the trip to a Saints side that sit bottom of the Premier League.
Thankfully for Arne Slot, Liverpool have no new injuries to worry about from the internationals, with those on duty coming through the action unscathed.
Alisson is still missing for the Southampton clash, though. The Brazilian returned to partial training this week but is still finding full fitness.
The game will also come too soon for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota, with the former potentially back for Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday.
Jota is expected to miss the next two matches, while Chiesa is still undergoing a “mini-pre season” to get up to full sharpness.
Harvey Elliott trained with his Liverpool teammates on Friday, however, and is pushing to be part of the matchday squad.
Here’s who is available and who is set to miss out against Southampton:
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (hamstring) – out
- Diogo Jota (rib) – out
- Alisson (hamstring) – out
- Harvey Elliott (fractured foot) – doubt
- Federico Chiesa (fitness) – out
While not an ideal situation in the injury department, Slot knows that he will be able to name a similar team to the one that beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield on November 9.
Conor Bradley for Alexander-Arnold could be the only change, in fact, with Caoimhin Kelleher continuing to fill in superbly for Alisson.
Andy Robertson was preferred to Kostas Tsimikas against Villa and, barring being rested, there is no reason why that should change, with the former’s winner for Scotland against Poland giving him plenty of confidence.
Slot faces the usual midfield conundrum, likely choosing between Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to play alongside Ryan Gravenberch.
Mohamed Salah is a certainty to play, too, and it will then be a choice between Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo for the remaining two forward spots.
The fact that Gakpo returned from international duty earlier means he could have the edge over his teammates.
Liverpool’s available squad vs. Southampton
Goalkeepers: Kelleher, Jaros, Davies
Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Quansah, Gomez, Bradley, Robertson, Tsimikas
Midfielders: Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones, Endo, Elliott*, Morton, Nyoni
Forwards: Salah, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo
*Doubt
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