Jurgen Klopp watched his side produce a stellar display against Rangers in their 2-0 win in the Champions League in midweek. But the Liverpool boss knows that Arsenal will prove to be a tougher test and, with four players still missing through injury, he will have to manage his squad carefully to avoid risking any further absentees ahead of the crunch clash in north London.
The Reds are currently 11 points adrift of the league leaders after eight games played and a defeat at the Emirates Stadium would cast serious doubt over the Merseyside club’s title ambitions. Klopp will know he may have to do it the hard way with four key squad members still out, although he has been boosted by the return of defensive duo Ibrahima Konate and Calvin Ramsay, while Caoimhin Kelleher has returned to training.
But the 55-year-old cannot ignore the fact he has a number of players still sidelined ahead of a crucial five-week period before the beginning of the World Cup in Qatar and he will be hoping the players he fields against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal can deliver a much-needed victory.
Express Sport looks at which players are still ruled out for the Reds ahead of the game on Sunday.
Andy Robertson
The Liverpool head coach will be hoping to have left-back Andy Robertson back to full fitness in the near future after he sustained a knee injury in the 4-1 defeat against Napoli.
Klopp’s last update on September 30 provided a positive sign that Robertson would be returning to fitness soon, although it remains to be seen whether he will be back in time for the Arsenal clash.
“He’s doing really well. It looks really good, so he’s not out for long; already too long out, if you want, but now it was the international break so that helped in this case a little bit. He is already out on the pitch running, good sign. I don’t know if it will be next week or the week after, I don’t know.”