Jurgen Klopp has a clean bill of health to boast of as Liverpool prepare to welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield on Sunday evening.
Liverpool will be aiming to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League standings from Manchester City when they play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday. And, Jurgen Klopp will be bouyed by the news that he has no players left on the treatment table ahead of the crucial fixture against Spurs.
Joe Gomez is the latest player to be fit and available, after spending nearly all of 2019 so far on the sidelines due to a long-term leg injury. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Liverpool boss expressed his happiness to have the young Englishman back at his disposal.
“Yesterday they were all in training, for all three pretty much the first full session, so we have to see how they react. Joe was back yesterday after 15 weeks, what a long time, but yesterday it looked really good. Of course, it’s early stages and he is really now adapting again to proper football training after having thousands of rehab sessions.”
Gomez though, is yet to regain full fitness, judging by Klopp’s comments, meaning Joel Matip will continue at the heart of the Liverpool defence against Tottenham alongside Virgil van Dijk. The left-back slot should not see any change either, with Andrew Robertson nailed on as the first-choice.
On the opposite flank, Trent Alexander-Arnold would usually start under normal circumstances. But, the right-back pulled out of the England squad due to a minor injury, and Klopp provided an update on him and Xherdan Shaqiri, who has also been dealing with his own fitness problems.
“There was actually no alternative for Shaq and Trent, not being involved in the games in that period. Anything else would have been really crazy because they needed that, they needed treatment, needed rehab and all that stuff. They should all be OK, I heard nothing different this morning since I’ve been here, so they should be OK. They will train again today and then we will see.”
Going by what the Liverpool boss said, Alexander-Arnold should be fit enough to start against Tottenham and will complete the hosts’ backline, which will provide cover to Alisson Becker. In midfield, there have been doubts over the fitness of Naby Keita lately. But, the Guinean is fully fit and should be available for selection on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson is unlikely to start after featuring extensively for England during the international break. So, the final spot in the midfield trident alongside Georginio Wijnaldum and Fabinho ought to be contested by James Milner, Adam Lallana and Keita, with Milner expected to get the nod.
Up ahead in attack, Shaqiri is in contention to feature, but is unlikely to start the game, with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and the in-form Sadio Mane keeping their places upfront.
