Premier LeagueLiverpool v Manchester City: Team news
Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola remain unsure on the fitness of several players ahead of the game between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield.
The sides meet in a 4pm GMT kick-off on Sunday in the Premier League, with the Reds able to pull 11 points clear of their opponents with a victory.
Slot confirmed during his pre-match press conference on Thursday that Trent Alexander-Arnold is ready to return to the Reds’ starting line-up following injury.
But the availability of Conor Bradley is unknown after he and Ibrahima Konate sustained injuries late on in Wednesday night’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid.
Konate posted on social media on Friday: “So frustrating to pick up this injury right at the end of a great game on Wednesday night. Now we start the recovery process but one thing I promise is I will come back and be the best I can be once again.”
On Thursday, Liverpool’s head coach told the media: “They are still being assessed so it’s difficult to say where they are in terms of the injuries.
“Let’s wait and see but it is never a good sign if players… Conor, I had to take him off and Ibou didn’t walk off the pitch as he should have after such a fantastic game that he played. He should have made a round [of the pitch] and clapped the fans but unfortunately he couldn’t so that’s not a good sign.
“They are still being assessed and it is so close after the game yesterday night, and I just came off the training pitch. So, I can’t tell you exactly where they are, so we have to wait and see where they are this weekend and after that.”
Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota have all been sidelined recently, and Kostas Tsimikas also missed the victory against Real due to injury.
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Watch on YouTubeOn Friday afternoon, City manager Guardiola was asked for news on who will be fit to play for the visitors after Jeremy Doku and John Stones were ruled out of their 3-3 draw with Feyenoord in midweek.
“We’ll see today. Today we will see,” he replied.
Ruben Dias was back in City’s matchday squad for the Feyenoord fixture – the defender was an unused substitute after three games out through injury – but Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic and Rodri are longer-term absentees.
City come in to Sunday’s clash having lost five and drawn one of their previous six outings across all competitions.
Liverpool, by contrast, have won each of their last six and sit top of the Premier League and Champions League tables.
Guardiola said: “Of course the challenge is how strong we are as a team in difficulties, that we are, with the first knock, not stable as we have always been.
“I have said many times in the past we have been able to go 3-0 up, we didn’t score the fourth of fifth but the game was dead, in our hands [with] control in all departments.
“Now, in the first moments, we are [not in control and] I don’t know how we are going to react… but the best test to prove how stable we are is Anfield because we cannot expect they will not have those moments and momentum and that is how we have to be as a team.
“They are one of the best [teams in the world], the results are proving that. Many players together [and] Arne is making an incredible job.
“It’s really good [how Slot is evolving the team]. They have maybe a more positional game but the transitions are still from the DNA, from Liverpool, from Jürgen [Klopp], [they] always are there.
“Every corner or free-kick for you is a transition for them, how quick [they are] and the weapons they have up front. Always it has been [like this] since I arrived here: before with [Sadio] Mane, [Roberto] Firmino and [Mohamed] Salah and now with the other players, with [Diogo] Jota, with [Darwin] Nunez, with Luis Diaz and Salah has always been there.
“Always I have a big, big consideration for this football club and nothing has changed, but of course they are doing really well. They lost one game in all competitions [this season], that means they are so stable and they are really good. But that is good, we will learn from that.”
Last match
Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid (November 27): Kelleher, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Diaz, Salah, Nunez.
Manchester City 3-3 Feyenoord (November 26): Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Gundogan, Nunes, Silva, Foden, Grealish, Haaland.
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