Liverpool returns to Premier League action this weekend after its brief winter break, with Jürgen Klopp unlikely to be able to field many more options than he had for the Reds’ previous game against Fulham in the Carabao Cup.
Up next comes fixtures with Bournemouth, Chelsea and Arsenal in the league, but there are also clashes with Fulham (Carabao Cup second leg) and Norwich City (FA Cup fourth round) to come. The calendar, for a team still in all competitions that it entered at the start of the campaign, remains pretty hectic and congested.
And amid the games continuing to come thick and fast (though at least an FA Cup replay against Arsenal was avoided), Liverpool is still missing many more players than most seem to acknowledge. Newcastle and Manchester United have lost key men, but so too have the Reds, who have simply been able to cope better thanks to having a deeper squad.
Here, Liverpool.com has rounded up the latest injury updates ahead of Bournemouth. Klopp will offer the latest update ahead of the game in tomorrow’s pre-match press conference in Kirkby.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajčetić
Liverpool midfield trio Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajčetić all remain out, though Klopp could offer another update on when they may return early on Friday during his Bournemouth preview. Szoboszlai suggested he could be back to face Bournemouth but was not spotted in training on Wednesday, while Thiago and Bajčetić could be back at some point in February.
Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas and Trent Alexander-Arnold
Left-back duo Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are still missing but the former could be back soon. The Scotland captain posted on Instagram earlier in the week to say he had had ‘a good week away’ training and it has been around three months since his shoulder injury sustained on international duty. Joe Gomez will continue to deputize in the meantime and he has done a great job.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is not expected back until the end of the month at the earliest. Conor Bradley will get the games with Bournemouth, Fulham (Carabao Cup) and Norwich City (FA Cup) in all likelihood.
Joël Matip, Ben Doak, Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endō
Away on international duty with Egypt and Japan respectively, Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endō are not going to be back just yet. Salah plays later today against Ghana with his side having drawn with Mozambique on matchday one. Ghana is looking to bounce back from a defeat against Cape Verde.
Endō’s Japan beat Vietnam 4-2 in its first game. It faces Iraq tomorrow and then Indonesia next Wednesday as the group phase concludes. Japan is expected to go a long way in the Asia Cup so Endō is unlikely to be back any time soon. Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool’s first-choice defensive midfielder, though, is back from injury and available again. Joël Matip is the only player who could miss the remainder of the campaign while young winger Ben Doak has had surgery
