We round up the latest Liverpool news and transfer rumours on Friday, as Jurgen Klopp continues preparations for the visit of Tottenham.
Today’s Main Headlines
- Liverpool can sign Nike deal after winning case
High Court judge rules against New Balance.
- Klopp provides injury update on Reds trio
Will Matip be fit this weekend?
- Ox can force his way into Liverpool’s starting XI
He needs to meet Klopp’s high expectations.
- Klopp outlines “incredibly important” job Fabinho does
One of the Reds’ most important players.
- Madrid & the 13-point gap cannot be the focus ahead of Spurs
“It’s not that they forgot how to play football.”
Spurs Almost at Full Fitness
Liverpool take on Spurs at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with the Reds favourites to come away with all three points.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be buoyed by their 5-0 win over Red Star in midweek, however, and the manager now has an almost fully fit squad to choose from.
Summer signing Ryan Sessegnon is available, leaving captain Hugo Lloris as the north Londoners’ only absentee.
Sessegnon is still awaiting his Spurs debut, having struggled to overcome a hamstring issue this season—it would be a surprise if he was thrown in this weekend.
A strong team is expected to walk out at Anfield, but is it in a good enough place to cause Liverpool major problems?
City Pair to Miss Liverpool Clash
Speaking of injuries, Man City have suffered a double blow ahead of their vital clash with Liverpool at Anfield on November 10.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Rodri have both been ruled out of what could be such a big day in the Premier League title race.
Zinchenko has undergone minor knee surgery and will miss “five or six weeks” of action, according to Pep Guardiola, while Rodri won’t recover from a hamstring injury until after the next international break.
City’s injury problems are mounting at the back, with Rodri forced to play there in the last two games instead of his preferred midfield role, as is the case with Fernandinho.
Zinchenko has been a reliable figure at left-back, and although Benjamin Mendy is available again, his absence is still a blow.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino must be licking their lips!
Reds Linked with Zakaria Move
The Express in Germany claim that Liverpool are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.
The 22-year-old, who can play at centre-back as well, is also being tracked by Man United, Spurs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
This isn’t the first time the Reds have been linked with Zakaria, having shown a reported interest during his Young Boys days back in 2017.
This report is admittedly a few days old, but it appears to be gathering momentum, making it one to keep an eye on.
‘Old Man’ Milner on Proving Van Dijk Wrong
James Milner remains one of Liverpool’s fittest players, despite approaching his 34th birthday.
Speaking on Friday morning, Milner said he is proud that he can still hold his own alongside younger team-mates, revealing the motive behind his walking stick celebration at Cardiff last season:
“To be honest I feel fine, I feel the same. I’m waiting for that day when we do a session and I feel it a bit harder than the boys.
“It’s always nice when I’m asking the young lads if I’m finding a hard session tough and they’re agreeing with me.
“I don’t know, they might be doing that just to make me feel better!
“Virgil [van Dijk] gives me plenty of stick—that’s what one of the celebrations last season was about.
“He’s always joking. When there’s Premiership Years or a game in black and white on the TV in the treatment room, he’ll say, ‘Milly, what number are you?’.”
It is testament to Milner’s professionalism and levels of dedication that he is still such an effective performer for the European champions.
Alisson Back in the Brazil Squad
Seeing Alisson back in action isn’t only a lovely sight for Liverpool supporters.
Brazil fans will also be delighted by his return from injury and the Reds’ No. 1 has been swiftly recalled to the Selecao’s 23-man squad for their meetings with Argentina (Nov 14) and South Korea (Nov 18) next month.
Firmino is joined by Liverpool colleagues Fabinho and Firmino, who could both play an important role in the two friendlies in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi respectively.
All three are expected to start against Spurs on Sunday, creating a world-class Brazilian spine in the process.
Kent Blames Liverpool for Slow Start at Rangers
Ryan Kent‘s Liverpool days are over, having joined Rangers on a permanent deal during the summer.
The winger still clearly holds some bad feelings towards the club, however, if his latest comments are anything to go by.
Kent claims the training programme he was put on at Liverpool has left him short of optimum fitness, as he looks to return to form after missing six games through injury this season.
“The training programme I had prior to coming here didn’t really stand me in good stead for coming back playing again,” Kent told Rangers TV.
“But with the physio and fitness coaches I have now, I feel like I’ve got myself back up to a good level of fitness and the right fitness for game time.”
Arnie: “When LFC say ‘I’ll be back’, they are back”
Who wants to hear Arnold Schwarzenegger’s views on Liverpool?
It would be a crime not to, right?
The Austrian acting legend is in England promoting his new film, ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, and he took time out of his busy schedule to tell BBC Sport about his admiration for the Reds:
“I like Liverpool. They are not always successful but the momentum is there right now.
“Sometimes, and I don’t know why, they lose some stupid games then they come right back again.
“When they say ‘I’ll be back’, they are back.”
Schwarzenegger backed Liverpool to beat Spurs 2-1 in his Premier League predictions, while Mark Lawrenson went for a 1-1 draw.
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