Liverpool will begin the new year with a meeting with Newcastle at Anfield, and the manager still has a number of fitness issues to contend with.
The Reds ended 2023 with a 2-0 win away at Burnley on Boxing Day and will be looking to restore order at the top of the table with a win against Eddie Howe’s side.
It would be six in a row against the Magpies Jurgen Klopp if takes all three points from this on, but while some players have made a return, a number of others remain absent.
The boss gave a full injury rundown in his pre-match press conference – held slightly earlier than usual on Friday – where he briefed us on the availability of a number of his senior figures.
Let’s take a look at who is in contention and who will miss out on Monday night.
- Mac Allister (knee) – available
- Jota (hamstring) – available
- Diaz (knee) – available
- Tsimikas (collarbone) – unavailable
- Joel Matip (ACL) – unavailable
- Thiago (hip) – unavailable
- Stefan Bajcetic (calf) – unavailable
- Andy Robertson (shoulder) – unavailable
- Ben Doak (MCL) – unavailable
Alexis Mac Allister has returned to full training having missed six matches with a cut to the left knee bone during the win at Sheffield United earlier this month.
Whether the manager deems him ready to feature from the start against Newcastle remains to be seen, with Klopp simply saying “we will see” when pressed on his availability for Monday.
Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are both fit and ready to be involved up top on New Year’s Day, with both coming off the bench during last week’s 2-0 win at Turf Moor.
The long-term issues, however, remain the same. Left-backs Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are both nursing shoulder injuries, with Klopp declaring that the former is unlikely to return until after January.
Joel Matip‘s ACL injury means he may have played his last game for the club with his contract up in the summer, while Ben Doak is expected to be out for the next few months with a knee problem.
Spanish midfield duo Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic are still sidelined with hip and adductor issues respectively, although the boss declared that the former is in a “good moment” with his recovery.
Liverpool’s available squad vs. Newcastle
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Adrian
Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Quansah, Alexander-Arnold, Bradley, Chambers, Scanlon
Midfielders: Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Elliott, Endo, Gravenberch, McConnell, Clark
Forwards: Salah, Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz, Jota, Gordon
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