MatchLiverpool v Fulham: Carabao Cup team news
Liverpool have Virgil van Dijk available again for the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham, but will be forced into a change at right-back.
Having missed last weekend’s Emirates FA Cup victory at Arsenal due to illness, Van Dijk can return to the squad at Anfield on Wednesday night.
“He did some runs yesterday on the pitch, looked good again,” said assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders of the captain. “He recovered well.”
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Watch on YouTubeThe Reds will be missing Trent Alexander-Arnold for the 8pm GMT kick-off, however, with the No.66 set to be sidelined for ‘a few weeks’ as a result of a knee injury suffered at Arsenal on Sunday.
“Trent hyperextended his knee during the last game,” said Lijnders. “So he has a little tear in the lateral ligament of his knee and he will need time to recover. He had a scan and he will be out for a few weeks, so let’s see after that.”
Also absent due to fitness issues will be Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas, while Wataru Endo and Mohamed Salah are away on international duty with Japan and Egypt respectively.
Caoimhin Kelleher’s status as ongoing first-choice goalkeeper in the Carabao Cup was confirmed by Lijnders ahead of the game.
On the possibility of rotation versus Marco Silva’s men, the Dutchman added: “It’s not the same [as previous rounds] because we played two days ago away at Arsenal, so that’s one.
“We come from a crazy schedule in December, so we really have to see who’s ready, who can go and who is fit to go. We are really happy that we play a semi-final in January, we wanted this. So we go full in.”
An appearance for Joe Gomez in this fixture would bring up the milestone of 200 Liverpool matches for the defender.
Fulham will be without Fode Ballo-Toure, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi, who are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Adama Traore is definitely out through injury, while Tim Ream will be assessed ahead of the trip to Merseyside.
Cottagers head coach Silva told FFC TV on Monday: “Still Adama Traore [is] out, let’s see in the next few weeks how he is going to react from the first steps outside.
“Tim Ream is involved with the team, he is working with the team. We have another session tomorrow [Tuesday] to decide what is going to be the squad list, but really the player that is completely out is Adama Traore.”
Last match
Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool (January 7): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Quansah, Gomez, Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones, Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz.
Fulham 1-0 Rotherham United (January 5): Rodak, Tete, Tosin, Diop, Castagne, Reed, Lukic, Wilson, Pereira, De Cordova-Reid, Muniz.
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