MatchLiverpool v Fulham: Team news

Chiesa has not appeared at senior level since September while Jota has been sidelined since sustaining an injury in the home win over Chelsea in October.

However, Arne Slot is hopeful of both forwards being available for Saturday’s 3pm GMT kick-off in the Premier League.

During his pre-match press conference on Friday morning, Slot said: “I think they are [available].

“We have one training session to go. Federico missed quite a lot for a long time, was ill last week, so we have to wait and see how he is exactly doing.

“But maybe Diogo is in the squad and maybe Federico as well, but that depends a bit on the numbers we have and also how he recovered from his illness.”

Alexis Mac Allister is unavailable due to a one-match suspension in the Premier League and Ryan Gravenberch is one yellow card away from receiving a one-game ban in the competition.

Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate are injured, while Kostas Tsimikas has missed the Reds’ last five fixtures.

Fulham, meanwhile, will be without Calvin Bassey and Tom Cairney due to suspension, while Joachim Andersen, Reiss Nelson and Harrison Reed are injured.

During his press conference on Thursday, head coach Marco Silva said: “No fresh [injury] news, really, just Joachim and Harrison Reed, plus Reiss Nelson from the game we played against Brighton. They are going to be out for the game.”

Like Gravenberch, Andreas Pereira is one caution short of incurring a one-match suspension in the top flight.

When asked to assess Liverpool, Silva stated: “Firstly, the most consistent team in this league so far. Really, really strong in any moment of the game, making life really difficult for any team that they play against.

“Great, in terms of the collective quality of the team, the impact of the manager and, of course, the individual quality they have. I think everything together is the reason why they are on the top of the league.

“In the Champions League they won six out of six and because of that they deserve all the credit for the way they have been playing.

“It's going to be the next one for us, a really tough game, but we have been responding well for these type of games so far this season.

“Even against them last season the games at Anfield were really tight games and the team responded really well, and let's hope we can have the same type of performance but with a different result for us, if we can.”

Silva continued: “It’s the team in best form [in Europe], definitely. They’re achieving the best results and the impact from Arne Slot has been top.

“OK, the expectations were there, all the eyes were there on him and on the team, how they were going to react after a big personality, a big character, left the club [who] was so important for the club [in] the last nine years.

“He showed his quality so far, the impact that he’s had in that football club, on the players as well. You can feel that they are all on the same page as a football club.

“When you are doing so well, achieving such good results and playing such good football in the Premier League [and] Champions League, of course credits for everybody.

“And, on the top, has to be the manager, and Arne Slot has been great for them, definitely.”

Last match

Girona 0-1 Liverpool (December 10): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Salah, Diaz, Nunez.

Fulham 1-1 Arsenal (December 8): Leno, Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson, Berge, Lukic, Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Traore, Jimenez.