Thiago Alcantara will start, but Diogo Jota could be on the bench again when Liverpool take on Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday.
Liverpool will be hoping to take a big step towards clinching a top four finish when they lock horns with Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday night. Heading into the game, Jurgen Klopp is pretty much working with the same group of players he has been for a couple of weeks now.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and captain Jordan Henderson remain long-term absentees, while Divock Origi and Caoimhin Kelleher continue to recover from their respective injuries are set to miss out again. During his pre-match press conference, Klopp provided a general update on the fitness of his squad and the long-term absentees.
“No, [there is] nothing. They all are [on track], Joe as well. Joe is outside running now and all these kind of things, which is obviously always a big step after all injuries. He looks fine when he is running, no real reaction in the knee, which is very important. It obviously still takes time but he’s in a good way. Like Virg, Joel and Hendo [are].”
Klopp also elaborated on Henderson’s progress and when the Liverpool captain would be able to return during his presser, saying, “I don’t know. He’s not in training yet – I think we can say that and all the rest we will see. It makes just not too much sense, and I don’t know it really, to make this kind of – in German we say ‘water-level announcements’ – running commentaries.”
With van Dijk, Gomez and Matip still unavailable, Nathaniel Phillips and Ozan Kabak ought to pair up at the heart of the Liverpool defence once again, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson being certain starters out wide as the two full-backs. In goal, there is no looking past Alisson Becker.
Up ahead in midfield, Thiago Alcantara has been conspicuous by his absence from the starting XI in the last few games, but should be recalled against Leeds. James Milner ought to make way for the Spanish international, who will line up alongside Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum in the middle of the park.
Finally, in attack, the key decision will once again involve the unlucky one from the quartet of Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to miss out. Jota is likely to be benched again, with Mane, Salah and Firmino forming the front trio for Liverpool against Leeds, just as they did versus Real Madrid earlier this week.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Mane
