Liverpool team news: Klopp confirms triple fitness boost but key man out of Leeds trip

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed a triple fitness boost ahead of their trip to Leeds United on Sunday but two other players have been ruled out.

The Reds get back to Premier League action when they take on Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon and Klopp has provided a team news and injury update ahead of the game including the latest on the fitness of Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Takumi Minamino.

Liverpool were given a huge scare earlier this week when van Dijk went down clutching his leg while representing Holland on Tuesday night and was seen limping during the closing stages of the 6-1 victory over Turkey.

However, Klopp has confirmed that he’s spoken with the centre-back who reassured him he’s “200%” fine so he’ll be available to face Leeds this weekend. The news will come as a major relief to Liverpool fans as van Dijk has only recently returned to full fitness following a serious knee injury.

There is also positive news on Elliott as Klopp says the midfielder is fit despite withdrawing from England U21 duty while Keita has also been declared available for selection by the Liverpool boss following the international break.

However, in a blow for the Merseysiders, Firmino has been ruled out of the Leeds game this weekend due to a hamstring injury that he sustained against Chelsea last month.

Minamino will also miss the trip to Elland Road with a thigh injury and Milner remains a serious doubt due to a calf problem that’s kept him out of training recently.

Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“Taki is already here for a while, he got injured obviously with Japan. With Virgil, that was obviously a scary moment, you can imagine. I sent him a message after the game, ‘Are you alright?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘100 per cent?’ ‘200 per cent.’ ‘Come on, send me a video of you without limping…’ ‘I’m only limping off.’

“So he called me from the bus and said, ‘Boss, I’m fine!’ I said, ‘Why are you limping then?’ He said, ‘My wife asked the same!’ So, yeah, that was a bit of a tricky moment but apart from that, no, all fine [for the other international players].

“Bobby is not [fit], it happened in the game [against Chelsea] obviously.

“Harvey is fine again. Millie, we have to see. Millie has to be part of team training yet, he was not part of team training so far, so we will see what he can do today. But he will get closer definitely.”

“Naby is fine. Yesterday he was not here [at the AXA Training Centre] but he was in Liverpool again. I will have a chat with him today, but from what I know from all the calls and talks we had, he’s fine.”

Klopp didn’t provide any update on Alisson Becker or Fabinho’s availability this weekend. The duo were initially expected to miss the Leeds game after FIFA imposed a five-day ban on the pair for their failure to report for international duty with Brazil.

However, the Liverpool Echo have reported that Liverpool are determined to play the duo this weekend as they feel the fact Brazil is on the British governments ‘red list’ proves their decision not to let Alisson and Fabinho travel was correct.

We’ll have to wait and see how things play out but it would be a big blow to Liverpool if Alisson and Fabinho weren’t available for the tough trip to Leeds on Sunday afternoon.