Liverpool Team News: Klopp Offers Update On Injured Duo + Confirms Starter vs Wolves

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Man City when they take on Wolves in the third round of the FA Cup at Molineux on Monday night.

Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s offered a team news and injury update including the latest on Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

Gomez has been on the sidelines since fracturing his leg during Liverpool’s 3-1 victory at Burnley at the start of December and Klopp says the defender is making good progress in his rehabilitation but he’s still not ready to return to full training just yet.

Matip has been out since fracturing his collarbone during the final seconds of Liverpool’s Champions League win over Napoli last month. Klopp says the centre-back is slightly ahead of Gomez in his recovery and has been able to do fitness work in the gym so he’ll be in good shape when he eventually returns to full training.

The Reds’ boss told Liverpoolfc.com:

“[Joe is] getting better, it’s getting better, but he is not yet involved. Joel is maybe a bit closer, I’m not sure, but hopefully he moves completely normal. We have to see how the bone healing is, that’s always how it is when something [has] broke, but from his movements it looks nearly normal.

“But there are still a few days to go until we can have them in team training, until [Joel] is ready for contact, which for a centre-half is pretty important. Until then we will make all the fitness work.

“The good thing is Joel can do all the fitness work already since a week or so ago, so that means when he will be back he will be 100 per cent fit. Then he has to get rhythm and everything will be fine.”

The only other injury concern for Liverpool is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the midfielder has stepped-up his recovery from a serious knee ligament injury after returning to light training. However, the former Arsenal man isn’t due back in full training until next month.

Klopp is ready to rotate his side against Wolves on Monday as he looks to keep his key players fresh so we should see the likes of Alberto Moreno, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Daniel Sturridge featuring at Molineux after being on the bench against City.

One player who is a confirmed starter is Simon Mignolet with Klopp revealing his number two goalkeeper will come in for Alisson Becker against Wolves.

Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“He [Mignolet] will play, of course. Yes, we have to [make changes]. That’s clear. We came through the intense period now somehow OK, but of course we have to make changes. How many I don’t know, but we have to. There is no chance for anything else.”

Liverpool head in to the game off the back of a hugely disappointing Premier League defeat at Man City so Klopp will be demanding a response from his players against Wolves on Monday night.