A number of Liverpool players have been sidelined through injury, suspension and covid – but matters appeared to have eased for Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool do still have a number of players sidelined going into the Premier League clash at Leicester City.
But matters are easing for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp as his side attempts to keep pace with Manchester City at the top.
Man City stormed to a 6-3 home success over Leicester on Boxing Day to open up a six-point lead on Liverpool, whose Anfield encounter was postponed after Leeds United reported a number of Covid-19 positives case in their squad.
So the Reds will look to make up for lost time at the King Power Stadium – and before that match, here is a reminder of who Klopp currently has sidelined and when they are expected to return.
Thiago
Thiago could come into contention against Leicester after his coronavirus isolation came to an end.
The midfielder trained on Boxing Day alongside Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones, who are also back available after their own Covid-19 positives cases.
“The boys who had to isolate or had Covid are back. That means Fab, Virgil, Curtis and Thiago,” Klopp said in his pre-match press conference.
“Thiago was the latest. He trained for the first time yesterday (Boxing Day) with the team.
“We have one young player who is now isolating and two staff, so it’s really tricky. Every morning when you come in it’s a little bit like a lottery.”
Harvey Elliott
The teenager continues to make good progress in his recovery from the serious ankle injury he sustained following a challenge from Leeds defender Pascal Struijk in September.
There were fears at the time that Elliott’s season could have been over.
But last week, in a Q&A session for The Athletic, our former Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce said: “Elliott should be team training again in January.”
The 18-year-old has also hinted at an imminent return in his latest Instagram story.
Elliott has kept Reds supporters up-to-speed with social media posts throughout his rehab.
And back on November 26, Klopp said: “He’s running outside, full body weight – good sign, that’s all fine. When he will be back, I have no idea. He’s our long-term prospect and each day we can get him back earlier is great, but we will not rush that.”
*Pick the Liverpool team to take on Leicester City:
Divock Origi
Just as the Belgian striker was hitting form, he was ruled out of Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at the start of the month with a knee injury.
Despite Klopp saying on December 15 that it was just ‘a little issue’, Origi hasn’t featured since the win over AC Milan in the Champions League on December 7, when he scored his fifth goal of the season.
With no return date set, it’s yet to be seen whether he will be available for the remaining festive fixtures.
Andy Robertson
Robertson was hit with a three-match ban after his sending off in the controversy-marred 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
He served the first game of that suspension when Liverpool knocked Leicester out of the Carabao Cup last Wednesday.
But with the Boxing Day match with Leeds having been postponed, it means Robertson is now set to sit out the league trip to the Foxes – and the crucial clash at Chelsea on January 2.
Adrian
The Spanish shot-stopper kept a clean sheet in the Reds’ Carabao Cup win versus Preston North End at the end of October, but has been sidelined since with a calf injury.
Issuing an update on the 34-year-old on December 3, Klopp said: “Adrian is injured in the moment, so Marcelo [Pitaluga] is now No.3.”
Nat Phillips
Nat Phillips is sidelined until January after fracturing a cheekbone during Liverpool’s Champions League victory over AC Milan.
In what was only his second start of the campaign, the 24-year-old impressed as the Reds made it six wins out of six in Europe.
But Klopp later confirmed the injury blow before the Villa game, saying: “He has to be careful and make sure in the moment when he is allowed [to train fully], when the bone has healed, he will be in a good physical shape, so that’s great. How long it will take exactly, I don’t know. Four or five weeks, something like that. We will see.”
