Liverpool have announced that four senior players will miss the match against Napoli in Dublin, with Adam Lallana one of those sidelined through injury.
With just two matches left of the Reds’ non-competitive schedule for the summer, minutes on the pitch are vital to all who hope to contribute heavily for Jurgen Klopp‘s team in the coming weeks.
It’s likely that several of the players on show, in Dublin and then against Torino next week, will be playing an hour or even longer as they build match fitness for the new campaign.
However, two players who have been injury-hit over the last 12 months will again sit out the action, with minor setbacks and muscle complaints.
Lallana is out with soreness in his calf, confirm LiverpoolFC.com, while fellow midfielder Marko Grujic misses out through a hamstring worry.
With a move reported close for the latter, possibly on loan, it would make sense to not risk his fitness in a friendly.
Elsewhere, there are expected absences at either end of the pitch.
Joel Matip again misses out, having flown home from the US tour early, with a hip flexor issue.
And Danny Ings, while fit and training, will not take part as he’s a probable departure on a permanent basis, with Klopp needing to give game time to the returned Roberto Firmino, among others.
While none of the quartet are long-term absentees, nor indeed expected to start the opening matches of the season, it will push Lallana and Matip arguably even further down the short-term order of merit.
The likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Joe Gomez will see their team-mates’ absences as an opportunity to showcase their worth, as the competition for places against West Ham heats up.
Goalkeeper Alisson will also be making his debut, while the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will be looking to clock up more minutes after just a pair of outings each so far.
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