FA CupNottingham Forest v Liverpool: Team news

The boss announced on Friday that Liverpool’s right-back will be sidelined for ‘weeks’ due to a hamstring issue, meaning he must make at least one change at the City Ground from the midweek victory over Arsenal, while Alisson Becker will start in goal.

Klopp said he has a ‘couple of options’ to replace Alexander-Arnold, namechecking James Milner – who missed the win at Emirates Stadium due to illness – and Joe Gomez as the senior members of his squad able to fill in.

“We have Millie when he is then not ill anymore, we have obviously Joe and, theoretically, we can change system as well, so we have these kinds of things,” the manager stated.

“We have a couple of options... if you have a look in the past when Millie had to step in, he did incredibly well. Incredibly well.

“He just has to be available, then that’s fine. But what we do or how Millie will be for Sunday, I don’t know at the moment. If not, then maybe we have a very young solution, which is fine as well or Joey as well. We will have a look.”

Klopp also mentioned that Mohamed Salah ‘felt his foot again a little bit after the [Arsenal] game’.

“We will see, I have really no idea in this moment. The analysis will follow now,” he replied, when asked if he is planning to rotate against Forest.

“I saw the Nottingham game, the FA Cup game against Huddersfield, fully and now the analysis follows after this press conference so then we make a decision about the line-up.

“But we have obviously a couple of issues from the last game and before: people who are ill and I hope I don’t get news somebody is ill today. So far I didn’t get that but the boys come in slightly later.

“Mo felt his foot again a little bit after the game, so we have to see what we do with that and on top of that, some other bits and bobs and stuff like this so we have to wait. It is always like this. I want to have a team at Nottingham who is fresh enough physically and mentally for the game and really is going for it.

“If we rotate – and I really don’t know it in the moment – then it’s just to have the best team possible for this specific game on the pitch.”

In the second part of his press conference, Klopp indicated Gomez is in line to play versus Forest.

He stated: “He is a top-class player, he is not an inch worse than all the other three [centre-backs] who are playing but the other three have rhythm, that’s why they play more often.

“That’s a little bit the problem we have, but at a club with our aims and ambitions, it can happen. It will not last forever, but so far it happened like this. The next game would be a good opportunity, that’s true.”

Forest will be without defenders Steve Cook (ankle), Max Lowe (groin) and Scott McKenna (hamstring), with the latter added to their injury list in midweek.

Liverpool’s visit is also set to come too soon for striker Lewis Grabban (ankle) to be involved.

“You have to take it as it comes, look after the boys who are injured but focus on the ones who are ready to play the next one,” said Forest boss Steve Cooper.

“It’s a blow for Scott, because everyone has seen he’s been having an outstanding season for us, so for it to be stopped in its tracks is disappointing for him, more than anything. But hopefully he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

“I’m not the only manager sitting here who has picked up injuries over the recent weeks and months. I’m not going to cry about it, I’m just going to get on with it.”

Last match

Nottingham Forest 3-1 Queens Park Rangers (March 16): Horvath, Worrall, Figueiredo, McKenna, Spence, Colback, Yates, Garner, Zinckernagel, Johnson, Davis.

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool (March 16): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago, Mane, Diaz, Jota.