MatchSouthampton v Liverpool: Team news
Virgil van Dijk is available to captain Liverpool and Harvey Elliott is nearing a return this weekend against a Southampton side who will be forced into two changes at the back.
Reds No.4 Van Dijk was not involved for the Netherlands when they faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday night.
But, now back on club duty, he trained with the squad on Friday and Arne Slot confirmed his skipper is ready for selection at St Mary’s, saying: “Virgil is completely OK.”
Elliott can also come into contention having returned to full training after recovering from a foot injury that has sidelined him since early September.
“Harvey is training with us again so that’s the positive thing, he has been out for many weeks but he is on the training ground again with the team. So, that’s a positive thing for him,” said the head coach on Friday.
“But that is different than being on the top of your game immediately again. So we have to give him time for this as well, but I am very fortunate that he is back, especially with the amount of games coming up in the upcoming two, three or four months.”
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Watch on YouTubeAlisson Becker is ruled out of the trip to the south coast, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota are still working through their recovery programmes.
“[Alisson] is back in training with the goalkeeper coach. He is not training with the team yet, but that is expected to be done soon, and then let’s wait and see where he is in terms of match fitness,” said Slot during his pre-match press conference.
“But he is getting better and better, but not ready to play [on] Sunday.
“Trent isn’t training with us yet, but he is getting there so we expect him to be back with us soon. Jota is still apart from the group, same as Federico, who is coming back into the session maybe in one exercise today.
“They are all expected to be back within now and a few weeks, but the last part of the recovery is always the most difficult one. So, let’s wait and see.”
The hosts will be without centre-back Jan Bednarek and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, the former having sustained a knee injury on international duty and the latter undergone a finger operation.
“They will both be out for this weekend,” Southampton manager Russell Martin told the media on Thursday.
“It’s [a] huge [blow], they have been two of our best players all season. In the last couple of weeks, Jan and Aaron there is a big onus on them to start the way we play in the build-up and stuff, so of course it is going to affect the team and how it looks.
“But other people have to step in and take their place and take an opportunity now. I’ve been really happy with those guys, and now they are going to be out of the team for a little while it’s up to people to stake their claim.”
On other updates regarding his squad’s fitness, Martin added: “I think Ryan Fraser is back now, Kamaldeen [Sulemana] is back properly now. I think everything else is pretty much the same.”
Ross Stewart and Will Smallbone were sidelined with injury before the international break, while Gavin Bazunu is a long-term absentee.
Alex McCarthy, who was in goal for Saints’ opening two Premier League fixtures this season, will replace Ramsdale between the posts.
“I’m excited for him,” said Martin. “I have so much trust in Alex, we all do. And I really mean that. The guys see what a top goalkeeper he is every day.
“So, I’m really comfortable with Alex going in. He’s done a brilliant job for us whenever he has played. At the end of last season; maybe we’re not here if he doesn’t approach it with so much calmness and composure, if he came in a bit anxious or whatever and what it’d have done to the team. But he was immense.
“He’s only not in the team because we had a goalkeeper that all of a sudden wanted to come here, after a lot of work. I think Alex knows the quality of the goalkeeper we have brought in and how difficult it has then become for him.
“But he now has an opportunity with complete trust from everyone. He is a brilliant goalkeeper and a brilliant person, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he does.”
Last match
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Southampton (November 9): Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens, Manning, Armstrong, Aribo, Lallana, Fernandes, Archer.
Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa (November 9): Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Salah, Diaz, Nunez.
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