Liverpool are buoyed by the returns of Adam Lallana and Joel Matip from injury while Loris Karius is set to keep his place despite last week’s horror show at Bournemouth.
The Reds will be out to redeem themselves after last week’s shocker at the Vitality Stadium and Jurgen Klopp’s team will not have hoped for a better opposition than West Ham United, a side that did the double over them last season. Liverpool welcomed Adam Lallana from injury last week and with him fully fit, he is now expected to feature in the starting XI.
The past week has been embroiled with speculation regarding Joel Matip’s participation in the African Cup of Nations and the Cameroonian finally addressed it on Friday confirming that he will not turn up for Hugo Broos’ side in January citing injury trouble. Furthermore, his return to fitness means the former Schalke defender is available for selection on Sunday. The 25-year-old has quickly established himself as a key cog in the Reds backline in his short time at the club and is yet to lose a game since his summer arrival.
Sadio Mane limped off the field last week but has since returned to fitness and could feature in the starting XI against the Hammers. However, there was no early Christmas surprise for Liverpool with Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, both of whom are yet to recover from their respective injuries. Klopp stated that Sturridge was yet to feature in training and was unsure as to when the England international will return.
Joe Gomez has been featuring regularly for the U-23s since his return from injury but its unlikely he will be rushed into the first-team set-up just yet. Meanwhile, Loris Karius is set to keep his place despite accruing considerable amount of criticism for his poor show against Bournemouth last week.
Pundits and fans alike voiced their disapproval of the German’s performances since his arrival at the club with many claiming they are yet to be convinced by the man who was the Bundesliga’s second best keeper behind Manuel Neuer last term. Amidst all this, Klopp has maintained a level head and backed his shot-stopper emphasizing that time will dictate the youngster’s growth and it’s only a matter of time before the Premier League sees the best of Karius.
