Liverpool play Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday, with six players set to be missing for Jürgen Klopp as fixture congestion begins to build.
The Reds will hope for a slightly less drama-filled game when they take on Sheffield United in their next Premier League outing. The win over Fulham earned a valuable three points, but not without shortening the life expectancy of everyone within Anfield.
There was a new injury for Jürgen Klopp to contend with to come out of that game, with Joël Matip the latest casualty. While Liverpool are still waiting on a scan, the manager has confirmed that it is likely going to be serious.
That’s a second defensive absence for the Reds, with Andy Robertson a long-term absentee after dislocating his shoulder.
The timeline is hopefully a little better than the five-month period placed on Nick Pope after he suffered the same problem against Manchester United at the weekend, but he will still be out until at least the new year.
Behind the defense, Caoimhín Kelleher will once again be called upon. Alisson suffered an injury late on against Manchester City, and it’s currently hoped he might be able to return for the Manchester United game on December 17.
In the same match at the Etihad, Diogo Jota was a casualty. Klopp did reveal a boost on this front, telling assembled journalists that he is back out running, although he is yet to return to team training. Initially described as ‘a bit more severe’ than the Alisson injury, it doesn’t look as though he will be out for too long a stretch.
Meanwhile, Stefan Bajčetić and Thiago Alcântara remain long-term absentees. The latter hasn’t featured all season, while a brief return for Bajčetić was quickly followed by another setback. The new year has tentatively been mentioned, although neither will be rushed back.
Here’s the full list of players available to the manager as the Reds look to continue their title challenge. Klopp still has plenty of solid options at his disposal, despite the injuries.
Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher, Adrián.
Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō,Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch.
Forwards: Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez.
Injured: Alisson Becker, Joël Matip, Andy Robertson, Stefan Bajčetić, Thiago Alcântara, Diogo Jota.
Doubtful: N/A.
