MatchLiverpool v Toulouse: Europa League team news
Cody Gakpo is set to return to the Liverpool squad for the Europa League clash with Toulouse at Anfield on Thursday.
The Netherlands international is back in full training having missed the Reds’ last three fixtures through injury, and Jürgen Klopp has confirmed the 24-year-old is available for selection as his side look to make it three wins out of three in Group E.
The home team will, however, be without Andy Robertson, who has undergone successful surgery on the shoulder injury sustained while on international duty with Scotland recently.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Klopp told reporters: “Robbo had surgery and [it] all went well, as good as it could be, so the recovery starts after he wakes up. I think it happened this morning. That’s it. We don’t know how long it will take or whatever, but the first step is done, that’s good.
“Cody is in full training now since Sunday, which means he is available for the squad. Whatever we do with that we will have to see, but that’s good as well.”
Elsewhere, Curtis Jones is available after missing the win over Everton in the Premier League at the weekend due to suspension.
Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Conor Bradley remain sidelined, while Ben Doak was ruled out of the game against the Blues with an issue picked up on international duty.
Klopp added: “We will make a few changes, not too many maybe, we will see. But we have to make sure that we are really ready for the competition and the boys showed so far that we are ready for the competition. That’s what I want to see.”
On Darwin Nunez, the boss said: “Darwin had a little bit cramps at the end of the international game [before Everton]. You could see it was really intense for him, even if it was 20-odd minutes. It was really intense, so it was the right decision to do how we did.
“It’s always tough for the boys to have these kind of travels before the games. But now he is fine for this game, I would say, and for the next game. That’s good.”
Toulouse make the journey to Anfield having taken four points from their opening two fixtures in the group, with a 1-1 draw away at Union SG followed by a 1-0 home defeat of LASK.
The Ligue 1 team have named a 21-man travelling squad for the trip to Merseyside.
Zakaria Aboukhlal and Oliver Zanden are absent due to ankle and hip injuries respectively, while Ibrahim Cissoko is out with a foot problem.
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“We know that Liverpool is Liverpool, we know how they play,” said Toulouse coach Carles Martinez on the eve of the game.
“It is an incredible club and an incredible team because they do a lot of things in attack. In defence they are very good, very aggressive. We know that.
“We don’t know exactly with who they can play because in Europe sometimes they are doing some rotation, we don’t know if tomorrow will be the same. Like us, they played one game before and in three days play again. So we don’t know exactly with who they can play but we are ready.
“It’s very clear, you can see in all the games we are trying to arrive in our identity. Liverpool is an incredible club, you know how Liverpool will play – especially the commitment and passion of how they play. We know [that] and we are preparing the game to beat them if it’s possible of course.
“All the players are ready to compete at maximum level.”
Last match
Liverpool 2-0 Everton (October 21): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Diaz, Salah, Jota.
Toulouse 1-1 Stade de Reims (October 22): Restes, Desler, Costa, Nicolaisen, Suazo, Donnum, Schmidt, Sierro, Casseres, Gelabert, Dallinga.
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.