Cody Gakpo will make his Premier League debut, but Darwin Nunez is unavailable for the game between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Liverpool have endured a disappointing campaign so far, and they are currently seventh in the Premier League table. But the Reds will aim to return to winning ways when they lock horns with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds are expected to be without striker Darwin Nunez, who missed training due to a minor injury. The Uruguayan international is not the only injury blow for Liverpool, and they will be without Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino as well. But Klopp still had slight hope of having Nunez at his disposal when he conducted his pre-match press conference.
If he cannot train today then, yes, that would rule him out. We are waiting for the latest information; it is not a major one, but it still kept him out of training. We have to wait for that.” On Firmino, Klopp said, “I don’t know exactly when he will be back, but he’s not close to team training, no.”
The Reds will be boosted with the return of James Miller and Stefan Bajcetic from their respective injury problems. But the likes of Arthur Melo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Virgil Van Dijk are long-term injury absentees, and they are expected to be sidelined for a few more weeks.
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Klopp said on the remaining team news updates, “Millie, yesterday, did big parts of training and will be back in normal training today. Bobby not. Stefan will be back in training today. He was out, he got a knock on the hip bone, which is quite uncomfortable, but he will back as well and that’s it pretty much.”
Alisson Becker is set to continue in goal this weekend. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Roberston will continue as the full-backs, and Liverpool will need their creativity from the wide areas. Joel Matip will partner Ibrahima Konate at the heart of the Liverpool defence. The Liverpool back four seemed quite vulnerable against Brentford, and Klopp will expect a strong reaction from his players here.
Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are expected to start in the middle of the park, and the duo will be expected to add creativity and drive in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Brazilian international Fabinho will anchor the midfield, and he will look to break up the Brighton play and win the ball back for his side.
January signing Cody Gakpo is expected to lead the line in the absence of Firmino and Nunez. The Dutch international will be flanked by Mohamed Salah on the right and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the left. Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott will be the backup options for Klopp.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Gakpo, Oxlade-Chamberlain