MatchBournemouth v Liverpool: Team news

Reds head coach Arne Slot revealed at his press conference for Saturday’s clash that Joe Gomez, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were set to train on Friday after recent injury and illness absences.

The trio may not be immediately considered for the game against the Cherries, though, with Slot saying on Friday: “All three of them are in training today so then the question is, ‘Are they already far enough to join us towards Bournemouth?’

“That’s something we have to wait and see today because we have probably also more than 20 players available. We always have more than 20 available but the ones that are mostly there. So, we have to make the smartest decision for them, but also for winning the game tomorrow.”

Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah all remained on Merseyside when Liverpool finished off the Champions League league phase by travelling to PSV Eindhoven in midweek.

Slot indirectly referred to Alisson and Gravenberch as expected starters versus Andoni Iraola’s side this weekend as he analysed the ‘big’ challenge they will pose.

“The ones that stayed behind, they didn’t rest in the sense that they had three or four days off – they did train but they didn’t play a game,” said the boss.

“I’ve said already, that doesn’t give us any guarantees for Saturday but it hopefully will help us during the upcoming three or four months because the Premier League and the Champions League is a long season for them, with 10 months in a row non-stop playing games without any weeks off in between. So, hopefully that will help them stay fresh for the upcoming months.”

Federico Chiesa completed the first 90 minutes of his Reds career – and overall since last June – during the 3-2 defeat by PSV in the Netherlands on Wednesday.

“Of course he is ready for more minutes in the Premier League,” Slot reported on the No.14. “Because if he can play 90 at Champions League level then you are able to play an amount of minutes in the Premier League.”

Bournemouth head coach Iraola explained at his own media briefing that he is likely to have the same squad to choose from as he did for last weekend’s 5-0 home win over Nottingham Forest.

Luis Sinisterra has returned to training after an injury that had sidelined him since October but may not be available for the visit of Liverpool.

“I think it’s basically going to be the same squad we had against Forest the other day,” said Iraola on Friday.

“The only player that has started doing things with us is Sinisterra, from the ones injured. We will assess him today but it’s not sure that he will be involved tomorrow.”

Those injury absentees are Julian Araujo, Evanilson, James Hill, Alex Scott, Marcos Senesi, Adam Smith and Enes Unal.

Cherries midfielder Ryan Christie goes into the game one yellow card away from incurring a two-match suspension in the Premier League.

Last match

Bournemouth 5-0 Nottingham Forest (January 25): Kepa, Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Christie, Adams, Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo, Ouattara.

PSV 3-2 Liverpool (January 29): Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, Robertson, Tsimikas, Endo, McConnell, Elliott, Chiesa, Gakpo, Danns.