Team news update: Liverpool confirm fresh injury blow as 5 players miss Norwich clash

Liverpool take on Norwich City at Carrow Road in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Ahead of the game, assistant manager Pep Lijnders spoke to the media at his pre-match press conference today and he provided a team news and injury update which included the latest on the fitness of Thiago Alcantara, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams and Roberto Firmino.

Thiago started during Liverpool’s Premier League victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend but the Spanish midfielder limped off during the second half and Jurgen Klopp confirmed after the game that Thiago had picked up a calf injury. Lijnders says the club are still waiting for scan results to come back but the 30-year-old is certain to miss the trip to Norwich and Saturday’s league game with Brentford.

Alexander-Arnold missed the 3-0 win over Palace due to illness and Lijnders says that while the full-back’s issue isn’t related to covid, the Carabao Cup clash with Norwich will still come too soon.

Firmino is due to resume full first team training this week after missing Liverpool’s last three games due to a hamstring injury that he sustained during the 1-1 draw with Chelsea before the recent international break. However, Firmino won’t be in contention to face Norwich tomorrow night.

Williams would usually have been in-line to make an appearance for the first team in the League Cup but unfortunately the youngster is still recovering from an ankle injury so he’s not available on Tuesday evening.

Lijnders told Liverpoolfc.com.

“Thiago, how the gaffer said after the game, it was a calf injury. I can’t say now how long it will take but definitely not tomorrow and not at the weekend,”

“Let’s get the scan results back and we have a proper diagnosis. A shame as well because he was taking the game by the hand, he was a proper playmaker in my opinion. A shame that we miss him.

“In one week we lose two really influential midfielders, that’s the bad thing.”

“Let’s start with Trent. Our game basically started at 12 o’clock against Palace; he took responsibility to speak with the doctor,”

“It was not easy because these guys – it says a lot about our group anyway – they want to play everything, [even] if they feel a bit shaky or ill. But he took the responsibility.

“That’s Trent, there are no symptoms – no COVID symptoms. We test regardless. He should be fine in a few days but Norwich comes too early.

“Then we have Bobby, who will do parts of team training but also not ready. But progressing well. And Neco is progressing well as well. [For him] tomorrow also comes too early.”

Liverpool will also be without Harvey Elliott as he’s facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines having dislocated his ankle last weekend so Klopp will be without five players for the trip to Norwich tomorrow.

The German coach is expected to heavily rotate his squad with the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Nat Phillips, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi all pushing for recalls.