Jurgen Klopp has provided an update on the fitness of Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Bournemouth.
The Reds travel to Dean Court on Sunday afternoon looking to extend their unbeaten run to 16 games, at a ground where they sealed a 2-1 victory back in April.
Klopp’s squad is much changed from that day on the south coast, but as he prepares to name his side for the 1.30pm kickoff (GMT), his focus is on three more familiar faces.
Speaking to reporters at Melwood on Friday morning, Klopp addressed fitness concerns over Lallana (groin), Firmino (calf) and Sturridge (calf).
“Yes, there will be a few changes, probably,” he said, after making eight alterations for Tuesday night’s League Cup quarter-final victory over Leeds United.
“I’m happy about each player back in training.
“Yesterday [Thursday] was Adam’s first session. He looked good, but we need to see how he reacts to the intensity of the training. But all good, having him back is cool.
“Roberto trained yesterday, too. That’s important. Still a bit of pain—it’s painful, but not that serious.
“He’s quite a tough guy, so he came through the session yesterday, to see how he reacted.”
Klopp confirmed that Sturridge would be unavailable, with the 27-year-old having missed over a week of training with what was initially believed to be a minor issue.
This could provide an opportunity for academy star Ben Woodburn, who became Liverpool’s youngest ever goalscorer with his strike against Leeds at Anfield, but Klopp would not be drawn on whether the youngster would feature.
Philippe Coutinho (ankle) and Danny Ings (knee) are ruled out for the long term, while Joe Gomez is stepping up his recovery from an ACL injury, but is likely to remain with the U23s.
The possibility of having both Lallana and Firmino back is a major boost for Klopp, who can call upon a variety of options in midfield and attack.
Divock Origi has scored two goals in his last two games, while Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum look to have made it through their midweek endeavours unscathed.
Lallana could rejoin Jordan Henderson and Emre Can in midfield, with Firmino, Origi and Mane forming Klopp’s three-man forward line, leaving the likes of Wijnaldum and Woodburn in reserve.
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