Full Liverpool squad available to Jurgen Klopp for Man Utd clash as nine stars ruled out

Jurgen Klopp has a depleted squad to choose from ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United, with nine first-team stars set to be out for the Reds

Jurgen Klopp hopes Liverpool can put their superb start to the new Premier League campaign behind them by delivering a resounding result on the road against Manchester United on Monday night – but will be missing a whole host of first-team stars for the seismic showdown .

The Reds are already five points behind title rivals Manchester City, but one game less after dropping points in back-to-back draws with Fulham and Crystal Palace in the first two games of the season.

While a trip to Old Trafford doesn’t usually present the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to recuperate, the Reds’ arch-rivals are currently in turmoil after a nightmarish start to life under new boss Erik ten Hag, who was largely beaten. both by Brighton and Brentford. so far this term.

But the Reds have their own problems to solve in the climactic battle. Klopp has a number of important selection decisions to consider as up to nine Liverpool players are set to sit out the game through injury or suspension. Club record signing Darwin Nunez will serve the first match of a three-match suspension against United after receiving a red card in last week’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace after a blatant header over Joachim Anderson , which left Klopp in a stupor.

Diogo Jota is a player permanently excluded from the trip to Manchester. The Portuguese striker is currently out with a thigh injury and has not trained this week, along with Thiago Alcantara, Ibrahima Konate, Calvin Ramsay, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones, who are not expected to play against United. .

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Caoimhin Kelleher is also out with a groin injury, while Joel Matip is unlikely to feature against Ten Hag’s side despite being pictured in training at Melwood earlier in the week – taking Liverpool’s total to nine.

However, Klopp is bolstered by the return of Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez. Henderson and Gomez were brought off the bench as the Reds chased Crystal Palace last week, while Firmino was left out of the squad as a precaution.

The Brazilian striker, who arrived with the Liverpool side, could even be pushed back into Klopp’s starting XI to lead the line alongside Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz in the absence of Nunez, who will also be out for the next few matches against Bournemouth and Newcastle. .

Klopp could also opt to push Harvey Elliott into a forward role and place Salah in the middle after the former Fulham youngster also arrived ahead of Monday night’s clash.

Squadra disponibile prevista per il

Liverpool: Alisson Becker, Adrian; Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Nat Phillips, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Sepp van den Berg; Fabinho, Harvey Elliott, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Fabio Carvalho; Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino.

U21 potential giocatori: Stefan Bajcetic, Isaac Mabaya, Bobby Clark, Luke Chambers.

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Liverpool has fostered Steven Gerrard trend as $60m investment set to pay off with new wonderkid

Liverpool’s academy has a rich history, with Steven Gerrard being one of its flagships. After a major investment by the club, a new prodigy is on its way.

It is likely to be a summer of change at Liverpool, with a number of established names leaving Anfield to be replaced by new faces. However, a particularly promising academy star could save the club millions in the transfer market.

Promising winger Ben Doak marked his return to action with a string of goals and assists during Liverpool Under-21s’ 7-1 win against Leicester City in Premier League 2 on Saturday. Signed in the summer from Celtic for a fee of up to $732,000 (£600,000/€675,000), the Ayrshire native has won critical acclaim for his performances with the Reds’ youth academy and has already made five first-team appearances. first name.

The 17-year-old forward was ruled out earlier this month with a minor muscle injury and is hoping to capitalize on his particularly impressive first-team cameo against Derby County in this season’s Carabao Cup. Doak excelled by completing three dribbles, making a key pass, winning five duels and shooting on goal in an impressive 16-minute cameo.

Another first team performance would then come off the bench at Aston Villa on Boxing Day, impressing with his eagerness to pick up the ball and drive towards the opposition defence, leading a beaming Jürgen Klopp to exclaim “that’s Ben! ” in the press conference following the game. Doak was on the field for just six minutes but questioned veteran Villains full-back Lucas Digne, who carried the ball three times and put the Frenchman in the net once. Another taste of first-team football came in the league defeat by Brighton in mid-January, where he completed three successful ties, with 13 passes in just 22 minutes. All in all, Doak was one of the few positives in an otherwise disappointing 3-0 loss at Amex Stadium.

His last involvement before the muscle injury came off the bench again, with a 15th-minute run-out in a 1–0 win against Wolves in an FA Cup third round replay at Molineux three days later. Once again the Scottish starlet’s dribbling skills stood out and his positive performance branded him as a potential star of the future.

There is no doubt that Doak has earned his minutes with the Liverpool first team this season having scored a sensational 10 goals and eight assists in just 17 appearances for Liverpool at youth level – one goal every 79 minutes. The two-time Scotland Under-21 international signed a full professional contract in November, making it clear Klopp has major long-term plans for the exciting striker.

There is no doubt that Doak has earned his minutes with the Liverpool first team this season having scored a sensational 10 goals and eight assists in just 17 appearances for Liverpool at youth level – one goal every 79 minutes. The two-time Scotland Under-21 international signed a full professional contract in November, making it clear Klopp has major long-term plans for the exciting striker.

The rich supply of young players who have made it through at Liverpool over the past 30 years to become bona fide Premier League superstars is likely to have made the club an attractive destination for Doak when he decided to leave Glasgow last summer. Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen both came into the picture in the 1990s, with Steven Gerrard shortly after before Trent Alexander-Arnold became a regular under current boss Klopp in more recent times. Not to mention the $60m (£50m/€56m) investment in the AXA Training Centre, which once again looks set to pay off with yet another prodigy rolling off the production line. The complex allows the first team and academy to train in the same venue, making the transition between the two much smoother.

Liverpool have a lot of business to deal with this summer, with the main concerns surrounding their ailing midfield and central areas of defence, but it seems the Reds look far more future-proof when it comes to forwards. Superstar Mohamed Salah isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but at 31, it doesn’t hurt to have one eye on the future. It’s too early to sign Doak as his successor, and he should be able to develop without any pressure, but it’s clear the club have something of a prodigy on their hands. At his best, Salah has a truly unpredictable quality, a trait he shares with past and present Liverpool stars Sadio Mané and Luis Díaz. This is clearly a quality Klopp values, especially when it comes to his wingers.

In that regard, Doak has already shown in his limited experience of first-team action that it comes naturally to him. Perhaps the Scottish starlet can follow in the footsteps of Fowler, Owen, Gerrard and Alexander-Arnold before him and herald a rising talent in the Premier League in the months and years to come.