Jordan Henderson is out for the rest of the season, but Sadio Mane and Fabinho will return when Liverpool welcome Burnley to Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool will be eager to add more gloss to their stunning record-breaking season when they play hosts to Burnley at Anfield on Saturday evening. Jurgen Klopp, though, has been handed a fresh injury blow, with Jordan Henderson seeing his campaign being brought to a premature end.
The Liverpool captain sustained a knee injury during the Reds’ game against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week. However, there is a silver lining in Henderson’s suffering, as exclaimed by Klopp in his pre-match press conference, with the injury not being as bad as was initially feared.
“Hendo is actually really the best possible of all the bad news. It is a knee injury, but no surgery needed. He will not play anymore in the latter stage of this season but I am pretty positive he will start with us the new season.”
“We were all concerned in the moment we saw him in going down and when he left the pitch and stuff like this. Yesterday when we got the news, it was a big relief for all of us. It is not cool, obviously, but it is the best we could get. Hendo will be back; he is a quick healer and he will be back soon.”
— Liverpool FC (Premier League Champions ?) (@LFC) July 10, 2020
With Henderson ruled out for the remainder of the season, Klopp will be forced into making at least one change when his men take on Burnley. In the Liverpool captain’s stead, James Milner should get a rare start, with the veteran Englishman also donning the armband.
Fabinho is also expected to return to the starting lineup after being given a breather last time out. The Brazilian will replace Georginio Wijnaldum. Naby Keita, though, should hold on to his place in the side. Fabinho will sit at the base of the three-man midfield, with Milner and Keita being the two box-to-box midfielders.
At the back, Joel Matip, like Henderson, will not feature again this season. However, Dejan Lovren has regained full fitness and will be a part of the matchday squad. Lovren, though, is unlikely to usurp Joe Gomez, who will continue being Virgil van Dijk’s partner at the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Andrew Robertson was also given a breather in the previous game, but should start against Burnley on Saturday. Robertson will take his left-back slot, with Trent Alexander-Arnold stationed on the right flank. In goal, there is no replacing Alisson Becker.
Finally, in attack, Sadio Mane is expected to return after being benched last time out. Mane, who will replace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Burnley, will be deployed on the left flank, with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah starting once again in the front trio.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Keita, Fabinho, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane
