Liverpool will be looking to keep up the pressure at the top of the table when they take on Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference today and he’s provided a team news and injury update which included the latest on Diogo Jota, Divock Origi and Nat Phillips.
Jota sat out the win over AC Milan in the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday night after picking up a knock during last weekend’s 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Klopp has confirmed Jota has been unable to take part in full training this week and unless the forward can prove his fitness by returning to training today, he won’t be considered available for selection tomorrow.
Divock Origi filled-in up front for Jota during Liverpool’s win at the San Siro in midweek but the Belgian wasn’t spotted at training on Thursday. Thankfully, Klopp has confirmed Origi was given an extra recovery day and should be available to face Villa this weekend.
The Reds boss also provided an update on Phillips after it was confirmed the defender is facing a spell on the sidelines with a broken cheekbone that he sustained against Milan. Klopp says the centre-back is expected to be out for around 4-5 weeks.
Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:
“Diogo felt something after the last Premier League game and he didn’t train yet. We will see, maybe he can train today and then he is an option and if not, then not.”
“Divock was just intensity, we took him out for a day, extra recovery day and I think he will be fine for tomorrow. I didn’t hear anything different.”
“Unfortunately, it is broken. It is not as bad as it could have been, so no surgery needed and he can pretty much train from next week on but reduced because everything that could hit him in the face could cause proper damage,”
“That’s why he has to be careful and make sure in the moment when he is allowed [to train fully], when the bone has healed, he will be in a good physical shape, so that’s great.
“How long it will take exactly, I don’t know. Four or five weeks, something like that. We will see.”
Liverpool will hope Jota is passed fit as Roberto Firmino is not expected to return to action this weekend. The Brazilian is back in training but after missing the last five weeks with a thigh injury, the Villa game is likely to come too soon.
Elsewhere, Curtis Jones is still unavailable due to an eye injury while Harvey Elliott is still working his way back to full fitness from a serious ankle injury so Klopp could be without five players this weekend.
Liverpool head into the weekend sitting second in the Premier League table – one point adrift of Man City – so they’ll be desperate to maintain the pressure on their rivals with a win over Villa at Anfield.
