Liverpool will be heading to North London this weekend for their Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur and Jurgen Klopp has given a crucial update on injury concerns in the squad ahead of their travels.
The Reds are enjoying a positive start to their Premier League campaign and will seek to continue their unbeaten run on Saturday evening in the capital where they will face Ange Postecoglou’s side, who have also been in imperious form this season so far.
Liverpool are currently second in the top-flight table just two points behind last season’s treble-winning champions Manchester City, whilst Spurs will be looking to knock the Merseysiders off their high-ranking position as a win at home would see them leapfrog their opponents in second.
Postecoglou has had a bright start in the Premier League and like Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City remain unbeaten in their first six games of the season, so it will be no easy feat for the travelling Reds this weekend.
Klopp will be hoping the winning mentality and resilience shown by his squad over the last few months will further translate onto the pitch again this weekend, after progressing to the next round of the Carabao Cup midweek.
The Liverpool boss took to his pre-match press conference today to compliment Postecoglou and Spurs start this season and claimed it would be a challenging fixture for his side:
“Spurs is a tough test, we’ve not played an easy game yet, away at Newcastle, Chelsea really tough. Always have been tough. Spurs doing well, Ange seems a top bloke, looking forward to meeting him. I think [fans] were all desperate for offensive football, he’s doing it.”
Not only that, Klopp delivered an injury update on his squad which will leave Liverpool fans with mixed emotions, as Stefan Bajcetic has picked up a calf issue after being involved in the clash with Leicester City on Wednesday evening, whilst Thiago Alcantara and Conor Bradley remain unavailable for selection.
However, after being seen in training pictures and videos released by the club on social media this week, the German coach delivered a promising update on the vice-captain:
“Trent trained yesterday normal. Will train today normal. We have to make a decision. It looks like he will be in the squad and play. Stefan had a little setback. Tiny calf issue. Thiago still out. Conor still out.”
Our thoughts on Klopp’s injury update…
There is no doubt that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return would be a massive boost to the team ahead of their meeting with Spurs, as his playmaking influence has been undeniable since transforming his role in the right-back position.
Over four Premier League appearances this season, the 24-year-old has registered one assist, successfully completed 71% of his dribbles and won 60% of his duels, as well as averaging 2.3 key passes, 74 touches, 40.5 accurate passes and 6.3 ball recoveries per game, demonstrating his strong ball retention and ability to develop attacking opportunities on the pitch.
The Liverpool born star will be warmly welcomed back by the supporters should Klopp take the chance on putting him back into the starting line up tomorrow, as the manager has had to rely on centre-back Joe Gomez and defensive midfielder Stefan Bajcetic to cover the role.
With that being said, the blow to Bajcetic will hopefully be a short-term issue, whilst Thiago’s absence has become something Liverpool fans expect on match days due to his inconsistency in fitness over the 18 months.
Liverpool should have enough experience, talent and strength in their side to take a positive result away from North London tomorrow, especially if Alexander-Arnold can get some game time too.
