Liverpool Team News: Klopp Confirms Injury Blow + Latest On Salah, Van Dijk & Mane

Liverpool will want to keep pace with the leaders at the top of the table with a win when they take on Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday. 

Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s provided a full team news and injury update including the latest on Virgil van Dijk, Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and James Milner ahead of the game.

The Reds boss confirmed a blow with the news that Naby Keita is expected to miss the game tomorrow afternoon after suffering a hamstring injury while away on international duty with Guinea earlier this week.

It was an expensive international break for Liverpool as a number of other players also returned with knocks and Klopp says they will all need to be assessed ahead of the trip to the John Smith’s Stadium this weekend.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and James Milner are the players in question so we’ll have to wait and see how many are declared fit to face Huddersfield tomorrow.

Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“We had a session yesterday and a few of the boys trained, so we’ll have to see how they’ve reacted after that.

“The only thing that is pretty sure is that Naby will not be available; with all the rest we have to see how it develops. That’s it, pretty much.”

Mohamed Salah was forced to return home early after suffering a groin injury during Egypt’s African Cup of Nations game with Swaziland while James Milner has been nursing a hamstring strain but the duo both trained yesterday so should be in contention against Huddersfield.

Sadio Mane’s availability is less certain as the attacker wasn’t able to train on Thursday after undergoing surgery on a broken thumb that he sustained while away with Senegal so he is a doubt this weekend.

Van Dijk also returned to Merseyside early due to an on-going rib injury that’s hampered him in recent weeks but Klopp has confirmed the Dutch international has fully recovered and is available to face the Terriers.

Klopp continued with Liverpoolfc.com:

“You saw when he went off – everybody saw when he went off – in the home game against Southampton, Virg would not leave the pitch without any major problems.

“It settled pretty quickly. Football players have to play very often with some kind of pain, that’s how it is. What it is exactly is not too important. It’s all good, he has no problems with that anymore.”

Liverpool head in to the weekend action sitting level on points with Manchester City and Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table so Klopp will want to at least maintain that status with another win over Huddersfield.