Liverpool Team News: Klopp Confirms Fresh Fitness Blow As Trio Ruled Out

Liverpool will be looking to book their place in the last-16 of the Europa League when they entertain Augsburg at Anfield on Thursday night.

Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s given Liverpoolfc.com a team news and injury update.

Unfortunately the Reds boss revealed that Dejan Lovren is a doubt for the game after going down with illness after just one day back in full training following injury.

Klopp also confirmed that Joe Allen remains out with a hamstring injury that he picked up against Sunderland earlier this month and the Welshman is expected to remain on the sidelines for around another two weeks.

Attacker Adam Lallana is still nursing a calf injury that’s kept him on the sidelines for the last three games while Martin Skrtel still isn’t deemed fit enough to return just yet after missing several weeks with a hamstring injury, so the duo have also been ruled out of the Augsburg game.

Klopp told the clubs website:

“We have a few things. Dejan was one day in training, now he’s ill, that’s not too good. Joe Allen is in a good way but not available, Adam Lallana is in a good way but not available for tomorrow.

“Of course, Martin Skrtel is not available and Ingsy and [Joe] Gomez are not available. That’s clear. We have to look at who can play on Thursday then we have two other days to think about the Manchester City game.

“Especially for players who didn’t play for a long time – like Phil [Coutinho] and Daniel – it’s very important to play them for rhythm.

“You saw they are back but it’s not at the consistent highest level. That’s absolutely normal. They could take a rest and we wait for the highest level or work for it; I prefer working for it and that’s what we try to do.”

We’ll have to wait and see if Lovren is able to shake off his illness in time to play tomorrow night but Skrtel, Lallana and Allen join are among a seven-man list of players who are certain to miss out tomorrow evening.

Young midfielder Kevin Stewart is out for the foreseeable future with an ankle injury while Jordan Rossiter is still out with a hamstring problem so the duo join long-term injury victims Danny Ings and Joe Gomez on the sidelines.

Liverpool go in to tomorrow night’s second leg with Augsburg following last week’s 0-0 draw in Germany so the Merseysiders will be the favourties to progress on home soil.