Liverpool are without a host of key stars ahead of their key FA Cup third-round clash with Arsenal, with Mohamed Salah among those absent.
Jurgen Klopp will likely set out firmly when he takes Liverpool to the Emirates to face Arsenal in their FA Cup third-round clash. The visitors are without a host of players due to a combination of reasons, with Mohamed Salah headlining the list.
Klopp updated on Liverpool’s new problems during his pre-game press conference. The German boss also confirmed the potential short-term absence of Dominik Szoboszlai with a hamstring issue while insisting the Arsenal game is not one to rotate his squad.
On squad rotation, Klopp said, “I don’t know exactly, but I think we rotated a lot in the first part of the season… But actually, I am not sure if Arsenal is now a game to rotate.”
Meanwhile, Klopp confirmed the hamstring problem for Szoboszlai, which would see him miss the next two games at the very least. He said, “I can confirm it’s not a potential injury – it is an injury. Muscle, hamstring. But now we have to see.”
“Dom is very positive and doesn’t have a lot of pain, but we have to wait a little bit. So, obviously, there is no chance for Sunday, not for Wednesday. No. And then we will see; after that, hopefully, he might be back, but we don’t know.”
Liverpool will also miss Wataru Endo after the Japanese midfielder joined his compatriots for the Asian Cup. The headline absentee comes in the form of star attacker Mohamed Salah, who has left for the AFCON and could miss a considerable amount of games depending on how far Egypt progress in the competition.
As for the team selection, there will be a host of familiar first-team stars in the lineup, as Klopp vowed to field a robust setup. Hence, Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are all pencilled in to start.
Alexis Mac Allister could return to Liverpool’s midfield, with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones providing support on either side. Klopp will hope the recent return of Diogo Jota will help cover for the absence of Salah, with the Portuguese set to start in the Egyptians’Egyptian’s right-wing position. Darwin Nunez will lead the line, while Luis Diaz will complete the attacking setup for the Reds.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz
