Liverpool boss confirms 6 players will miss Brighton clash

Liverpool return to Premier League action following the international break when they take on Brighton at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s provided a team news and injury update on 10 of his players.

Let’s start with the bad news and the Liverpool boss has confirmed that Andrew Robertson, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all miss the visit of Brighton this weekend.

Robertson has been nursing a knee injury that he sustained during the latter stages of the Champions League defeat to Napoli earlier this month. Klopp has revealed the left-back is already out on the training pitch but it will be another week or two before he’s back in contention for first team duty.

Jones has been struggling with a shin injury this season and is still working his way back to fitness while Oxlade-Chamberlain is still out with a hamstring injury that will keep him on the sidelines until some point in October. Keita is also not due to return until next month as he continues to recover from a thigh problem.

Liverpool No.2 goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is back in training after stepping up his recovery from a groin injury but he’ll play for the U21s this weekend as he builds-up his match fitness.

Calvin Ramsey is also back in training after recovering from a back issue but the youngster is also expected to feature for the u21s before being considered ready for first team duty. Therefore, at least six players will miss this weekends clash with Brighton.

Konate back?

One player who could be back in the squad is Ibrahima Konate as Klopp has confirmed the centre-back is in full training following a lengthy lay-off with a knee injury. The Reds will assess Konate in training today before a final decision is made over his availability tomorrow.

Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez will all be assessed following their involvement with their national teams during the international break but they should all be available to face Brighton at Anfield.

Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“Some are still out doing rehab – that’s Robbo, that’s Curtis, that’s Ox, that’s Naby, if I’m 100 per cent [right]. Definitely these four,” said Klopp at his pre-match press conference.

“[Nunez, Diaz and Jota], they came back from international [duty]. How it always is, long flight. Luis only landed Thursday morning. I didn’t see him yet. I heard he is good but [will] see him now only later. Darwin, yeah, precaution after intense travel and games. Same for Diogo.

“Calvin is not ready to play but over the moon that he can train now. That’s fine, it’s really good. So he just needs now training, training, training and there will be a moment when he probably will play [for the] U21s that he can get a game, because we play now all the time. But that’s fine.

“Caoimh, I think will play this weekend [for the] U21s, that he can have a game. It’s obviously not his season yet, was injured for a long time, but looks good in training, is completely fine.

“And Ibou needs training as well. Yes, back. For the weekend, [it] depends to training today but he’s back and that’s good.”

“He’s [Robertson] doing really well. It looks really good, so he’s not out for long; already too long out, if you want, but now it was the international break so that helped in this case a little bit.

“He is already out on the pitch running, good sign. I don’t know if it will be next week or the week after, I don’t know.”

So it’s a mixed team news update from Klopp – who has been dealing with a number of injury issues throughout the new season – but it sounds like several players should be returning to the fold over the coming games.

Liverpool welcome Brighton to Merseyside this weekend having won just two of their six Premier League games so far. The Reds sit eighth in the table – four points off the Seagulls – so Klopp will be desperate to secure a much-needed victory on home soil.