Darwin Nunez will return, but Thiago Alcantara will be unavailable when Liverpool take on Ajax in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Liverpool are second in their group with nine points from four matches. And a win over Ajax on Wednesday would guarantee them a place in the next round. The Reds could still top their group, but they need to win their remaining games and hope the other results go their way.
Meanwhile, Ajax will be looking to avenge the defeat at Anfield from earlier this season. They have an impressive squad and will fancy their chances at home.
Liverpool have been quite inconsistent this season and were beaten by Nottingham Forest in their last outing. Jurgen Klopp will demand a better showing from his players, and it remains to be seen whether they can step up here.
The visitors have a number of injury problems, and Klopp will be without Joel Matip, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Arthur Melo. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will miss out because they are not included in the Champions League squad.
Ajax vs Liverpool Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Liverpool will likely continue with a 4-4-2 formation, and Alisson Becker will start in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson should be deployed as the full-backs against Ajax.
Ibrahima Konate is back in training, but he might be lacking in match fitness. So Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are likely to start as the centre backs. As for the midfield unit, Thiago Alcantara is expected to miss out with a knock. And Klopp confirmed the Spanish international’s absence in his pre-match press conference.
“Still out,” said Klopp when quizzed over the status of Thiago. The Liverpool boss also spoke about Konate, saying, “[Konate] is here. Ready to play minutes, I would say. He could play the first minutes but that would not make too much sense, so minutes yes. That’s it. Nothing new yet.”
Fabinho will start as the defensive midfielder alongside captain Jordan Henderson. Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho should be deployed as the wide players. Both players will look to add some width to the side, and they are likely to drift into the middle to help control the tempo of the game as well.
Meanwhile, Klopp also spoke about Nunez’s fitness situation after the Uruguayan striker missed the game against Nottingham Forest. The Liverpool manager added, “He trained normal yesterday and today. So yes, in this moment, he is available.” Nunez should thus partner Mohamed Salah in the final third, with Roberto Firmino dropping to the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Henderson, Carvalho; Salah, Nunez
