Sadio Mane is set to return while James Milner will be in contention to feature when Liverpool take on Norwich City on Saturday.
Liverpool will have the chance to stretch their lead atop the Premier League table when they lock horns with Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday evening. And, Jurgen Klopp has been handed a major boost ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Sadio Mane has completed his recovery from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the last few weeks. The Senegalese speedster is expected to slot straight back into the starting lineup. Like Mane, James Milner has also put his own hamstring complaint behind him.
The return of the duo means that Nathaniel Clyne (knee) and Xherdan Shaqiri (calf) remain the only Liverpool first-team players on the sidelines. During his pre-match press conference, Klopp expressed his delight at the prospect of soon having a full strength squad at his disposal.
“Of course they [Mane and Milner] are in contention, it’s clear. When Millie and Sadio are back, you start thinking immediately. That’s how it is. It looks like – and I hope it stays like this – apart from Shaqiri, Clyne and [Paul] Glatzel, all players are in training.”
“We have some good options and hopefully it stays like this, that would be really great for the decisive part of the season now. It’s good news. They both [Mane and Milner] trained from Monday – and they both trained through the last week anyway – so they are in contention.”
Apart from Clyne, defence is at full strength and the first-choice quartet of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson pick themselves, with Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren being backup options. Alisson Becker is an automatic pick in the Liverpool goal.
Up ahead in midfield, as iterated earlier, James Milner is in contention to start. However, Klopp is likely to go with the strongest three-man unit, despite the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid on the horizon.
Fabinho will sit at the base of the three-man midfield unit, with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson starting in a more advanced role, just like he did against Southampton last time out in the Premier League. Georginio Wijnaldum will be the third man in the middle of the park, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Milner providing backup.
Upfront, with Mane fit and available, the strongest three-pronged attack comprising of Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino should take their respective places in the final third.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane
