Liverpool Team News: Rodgers Without 6 Players For Burnley Clash

Liverpool will look to build on last weeks late draw with Arsenal when they take on Burnley at Turf Moor on Boxing Day.

Ahead of the game, Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this morning and gave Liverpoolfc.com a team news and injury update.

The Reds boss confirmed that midfielder Joe Allen is still unavailable with a knee injury that kept him out of Sunday’s 2-2 draw with the Gunners.

Allen joins Glen Johnson on the sidelines as the defender continues to nurse a groin strain. The full-back suffered the injury during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United earlier this month and isn’t expected back until mid-January.

Rodgers revealed that none of his other injury-victims will be back to face Burnley which means that Jon Flanagan remains out of contention having only just returned to light training following a serious knee operation back in September.

However, there is some positive team news with Mario Balotelli back in the frame having served the one-match ban he got slapped with for posting a controversial image on Instagram.

The Italian will replace Fabio Borini in the squad with the forward unavailable after being sent off for two bookable offences against Arsenal at the weekend.

Rodgers told the clubs website:

“[Mario] becomes available, but there’s no-one else – Joe Allen, Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan are still out.

“The most important thing is Mario is available after his ban, adds another player to our squad and another player who is available, especially with Fabio Borini unavailable [due to suspension].”

There was no update on the fitness of Dejan Lovren – whose been struggling with a groin strain recent weeks – so it looks like he’ll also be out along with star striker Daniel Sturridge.

The 25-year-old is currently over in the United States undergoing treatment on a niggling thigh injury just is due to return to training in the early part of the New Year.