Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool team travels to Luton with a formidable roster. Two of the four confirmed absences are young players, with Stefan Bajeti and Conor Bradley still out due to long-term injuries.
Of course, Klopp is still without Andy Robertson, who is expected to be sidelined until the new year after dislocating his shoulder while on international duty with Scotland. Kostas Tsimikas has been deputizing in recent Liverpool games and is expected to do so again here.
Meanwhile, the manager stated last week that Thiago will also not be seen again until the New Year. The player, more than anybody else, must be frustrated by the ever-changing timeline, with the Spaniard still to appear in the 2023/24 season, having missed a piece of last season as well.
It remains to be seen whether Luis Daz can contribute to Liverpool. He has participated in training despite the terrible scenario in Colombia surrounding his parents’ kidnapping. Of course, no one at the club will put any pressure on him to play.
Aside from that, Klopp has a full complement. Ben Doak has returned to training, although he has yet to make the matchday squad following his recuperation, and will be hoping to do so here. However, his prospects of starting are minimal because we all witnessed how Mohamed Salah responded to being substituted against Chelsea.
The man who would have had 16 consecutive Premier League goal contributions if not for the VAR blunder at Spurs can probably be forgiven for his unwavering confidence that he is the one who should be trusted to affect matches during critical periods. He might see a field day against Luton, with the Golden Boot race heating up again courtesy to the inclusion of Erling Haaland in the league.
Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez may still hope to be included in that conversation. He won the League Cup encounter against Bournemouth in midweek and has been in excellent form all season.
With him being on the approach of establishing himself as the unquestioned starter, there is a strong possibility that goals may soon follow. Liverpool.com has compiled a comprehensive list of the players available to the manager as the Reds head to Kenilworth Road.
Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Caoimhín Kelleher, Adrián.
Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Joël Matip, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah.
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch.
Forwards:Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota.
Players who are injured: Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcântara, Stefan Bajčetić, Conor Bradley.
Players who are doubtful: Luis Díaz (personal reasons), Ben Doak.
