Firmino TRAINS ahead of Anfield farewell – but Nunez doubt remains

May 17, 2023
Jack Lusby

There was good news on Wednesday as Roberto Firmino rejoined team training ahead of Liverpool vs. Aston Villa, but Darwin Nunez missed out.

As Liverpool romped to a 3-0 win at relegation-bound Leicester on Monday night, Firmino and Nunez both watched on from behind dugout.

The pair were absent due to injury, but after the game, Jurgen Klopp was optimistic over his No. 9 being able to feature in Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa.

It will be the final home game of the season for Liverpool, and for the likes of Firmino, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a chance to say goodbye.

With Firmino having missed the last six games with a muscle injury, there were concerns over whether he would make it onto the pitch again for the club.

But as a 27-man squad trained at the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday, the 31-year-old was seen working alongside his team-mates again.

However, there was no sign of Nunez, who is struggling with a toe injury that has cast doubt over his involvement in the next two games.

Naby Keita, who like Firmino, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arthur and Adrian is out of contract this summer, is still not in training despite Klopp’s repeated claims that he would soon return.

In all likelihood, Keita’s last game for Liverpool will have been a disastrous display at Crystal Palace in February which saw him substituted at half-time.

Thiago is a known absentee, with hip surgery ruling him out until pre-season, as is the case for Stefan Bajcetic (adductor) and Calvin Ramsay (knee).

Ramsay has now resumed light training, but is not expected to join the squad for full training before the end of the campaign.

There appear to be no new injury concerns for Klopp, at least, with all 15 players who featured against Leicester part of the training squad.

Firmino is not likely to start on Saturday, but will almost certainly be given a runout in front of the Anfield crowd provided the result goes Liverpool’s way.