Liverpool are injured at the latest as another update is expected from Ibrahima Konaté and three players will miss Crystal Palace
Liverpool injury news: Latest updates as Jurgen Klopp looks to get back to winning ways against Crystal Palace with another expected update on Ibrahima Konat
Liverpool will look to shake off their troubles after Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Real Madrid by getting back to winning ways against Crystal Palace. However, Jürgen Klopp has to do without a lot of big names at Selhurst Park.
The Reds will want to make sure they avoid a repeat of previous defeats to the Eagles and look to follow up back-to-back Premier League wins with another win. With Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota all returning to action in recent weeks, Klopp has more options available and could look to freshen things up following the midweek Champions League defeat.
But if the damage from five goals conceded at Anfield on Tuesday night wasn’t enough, it’s made worse by Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez taking a hit. The defender will want to make up for his poor performance against Los Blancos as soon as possible, but he will have to wait if he is ruled out for the trip to south London or if Ibrahima Konaté is deemed fit to take his place.
Thiago Alcantara
One player Liverpool lacked against Real Madrid was Thiago, who was likely to help keep Liverpool possession up front and probably show his experience by better defending the two-goal lead the Reds had stumbled into.
The Reds will have to lose the influential midfielder for a while, as the Spaniard returns next month after a hip injury. In his last two Premier League victories, Stefan Bajčetić has performed well in his absence and Liverpool are hoping he continues his form.
Luigi Diaz
Mercurial striker Luis Díaz is another player absent after being sidelined with a knee injury sustained in October. The Colombian has now undergone an operation, but is now less than a month old back in the countryside.
Again, Crystal Palace will be too early for him, but Díaz started running again at the beginning of the month and was expected in early March. The attacker will undoubtedly give a massive boost before the last games of the Premier League.
Ibrahima Konaté
The French central back maintained a thigh injury he suffered last month during the FA Cup against Brighton and Hove Albion. The original time scales, which were placed on the problem, said that he could have the opportunity to return to Crystal Palace this weekend – and it was certainly confirmed that he had returned to the training in crew. Whether Klopp puts the defender back on the line remains to be seen.
Konaté hasn’t been in Real Madrid’s squad so it’s clear that he’s only been fit recently. Another update is expected when Klopp addresses the media ahead of the trip to Crystal Palace. The press conference will take place tomorrow at 11:30 GMT.
When Konaté is fit it poses a bit of a dilemma and it’s not inconceivable that the German boss could dump him straight to Crystal Palace if he feels capable, especially after a humiliation in the Champions League. But caution will also be required to push it back.
Joe Gomez
It would be fair to say that Joe Gomez didn’t have his best night at Liverpool against Real Madrid and the England defender will try to make amends as soon as possible. However, it looks like the former Charlton player will have to wait for his chance to return to the starting XI after suffering a defeat on Tuesday.
Away from the action, he hobbled straight down the tunnel. Gomez’s fitness is currently under review. This means that even if he is fit enough, one would think that the player is unlikely to keep his place to face Crystal Palace.
Arthur Melo
Arthur Melo is Liverpool’s forgotten man this season and it seems unlikely that his first Premier League minutes of the season will arrive at Selhurst Park. However, Arthur is back in training and shouldn’t be far from fine after being out of action for most of his loan spell so far with a hamstring issue.
The Brazilian is now believed to be suffering from a lack of fitness, but a resurgence in midfield options for Klopp means even the squad composition is competitive. Arthur has been left out of the Champions League squad completely but has a chance to face Crystal Palace this weekend. He’s been back in training for two weeks now, but he’s sure his chances of making an impact this season are dwindling week by week.
Calvin Ramsey
The latest name on Liverpool’s injured list is summer signing Calvin Ramsay, who like Arthur Melo has yet to play a Premier League game for the club. To be fair, with the Scot aged just 19, time is clearly still on his side.
Ramsay underwent surgery for a knee injury earlier this month and will be out for the remainder of the season, making him one of three players on this list who are certain to miss the Crystal Palace game. Let’s hope he comes back better than ever next season.