Liverpool team news: Klopp confirms boost but 7 players face late fitness tests

Liverpool will be looking to tighten their grip at the top of the table with a win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference today and the Reds boss gave a full team news and injury update including the latest on a number of his first team squad.

Let’s start with the good news and Klopp confirmed a major boost with the news that Virgil van Dijk is available for selection this weekend despite pulling out of the Holland squad earlier this week due to personal reasons.

However, Mohamed Salah is one of several players Liverpool will need to assess before Klopp makes a final decision over his starting eleven for the game against Palace tomorrow afternoon.

The Egyptian international was forced to withdraw from international duty with his country after aggravating an ankle injury during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Manchester City at Anfield two weeks ago.

Salah has been doing individual training away from the main group at Melwood this week and Klopp says today’s session will determine whether the attacker is able to start against the Eagles tomorrow.

Andy Robertson will also be assessed after withdrawing from the Scotland squad due to an ankle injury that he picked up against City while a late decision will also be made over Joel Matip’s involvement as he looks to return from a niggling knee injury.

Klopp says Brazilian trio Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Alisson will also need to be checked over after arriving back late from international duty in south america while Gini Wijnaldum will also be assessed after playing 90 minutes for Holland on Tuesday night.

When asked for an update on Salah, Robertson, Van Dijk and Matip, Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“In the moment, yes, Virgil is 100 per cent available. But it’s the time of the year when players get out of the squad overnight, unfortunately, with some other things – getting sick or ill or whatever.

“From the others, I cannot say 100 per cent, I don’t know 100 per cent. Today is a very important session to judge that, especially with the players who came back late.

“Fabinho and Bobby and Ali played on Tuesday, Gini Wijnaldum played on Tuesday, so we have these players where we really need to have a look at how they react and what makes sense for them or not.

“It’s always how it is with the first game after the international [break], we have to wait until the last second pretty much to make the decision. Nobody came back with a serious injury or something like that but we still have to look how they are.”

“Yesterday he [Salah] trained. He trained the whole time since he was here, but only the things we wanted him to do.

“Today is another important session to see how it looks and we can make the decision. It’s not that it got worse but it’s still kind of there, that’s the problem. We have to be sensible with things like this.

“But I didn’t make the decision. If I would have made a decision, I probably wouldn’t have told you now, but it’s true I have to see the session today.”

I expect Fabinho, Firmino, Wijnaldum and Allison will all be passed fit to start against Palace but it remains to be seen whether Klopp will risk Salah as his ankle injury has been hampering him for several weeks so they will want to ensure it’s 100% before throwing him in to action.

Robertson has a solid chance to start tomorrow but I think Klopp might give Matip more time to fully recover so Dejan Lovren could line-up alongside van Dijk in the middle of the Liverpool defence at Selhurst Park.