Liverpool handed quadruple injury boost ahead of Manchester City clash.
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Before the international break, the Reds defeated Brentford 3-0, moving them up to second place with 27 points from their first 12 games of the season. None of the four players was able to participate in that game.
Thanks to Mohamed Salah’s brace and Diogo Jota’s strike, Jurgen Klopp’s men are above Arsenal by virtue of scoring one more goal than the Gunners, and the gap to next opponents Man City now sits at only one point.
Liverpool would rise to the top of the Premier League table for a short while, at least, if they won their first Premier League game at the Etihad since November 2015. However, throughout the two-week break, the Reds’ medical staff has been tending to a number of injured players.
But Gravenberch, Jones, Konate, and Gomez were all on the AXA fields on Thursday afternoon, according to Liverpool, and all four players are anticipated to play in the match against the champions.
Before hurting his knee and missing games against Toulouse and Brentford, Gravenberch had just begun to establish himself as a regular starter in the Premier League. Klopp was confident that Gravenberch would make a comeback after the international break.
Due to a hamstring injury, Jones, the Dutchman’s teammate in midfield, missed the same two games as well as the 1-1 draw with Luton Town on November 5. The Englishman is now expected to make his Premier League debut after getting sent off against Tottenham Hotspur on September 30.
Konate, however, was limited to the bench against Toulouse and was forced to withdraw from the France squad due to a hamstring injury. He also missed Brentford’s rout.
Konate’s chances of being fit for the match against Man City were cast doubt after the French Football Federation announced that he would miss two weeks due to a low-grade illness. However, Konate is now expected to replace Joel Matip at the back.
Last but not least, Gomez missed the team’s victory over Brentford due to an unspecified injury. Nevertheless, the adaptable defender, who has recently started at left-back against Everton and Luton, is probably going to start on the bench.
Due to a shoulder injury, Andrew Robertson will be unavailable to the Reds for the rest of the season. As a result, Kostas Tsimikas and Luke Chambers will compete for starts on the left side of the backline, and Gomez will have to fill in.
There were some questions when Tsimikas, 27, was left out of Greece’s Euro 2024 qualifying match against France on Tuesday. However, the player has since stated that the decision was made for disciplinary reasons rather than injury concerns. Tsimikas recorded two assists against Brentford.
As a result, Tsimikas ought to start on the left side at the Etihad. Liverpool also disclosed that Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Alisson Becker, who are from South America, have all trained following their return from World Cup qualifying.
On Saturday, Alisson and Mac Allister—who is also returning from suspension—should start alongside Salah. However, Klopp might decide to start Jota and Cody Gakpo alongside Salah and reserve Nunez and Diaz.
The Egyptian international has scored or assisted in each of his last six Premier League games against Man City, and he only needs one more goal this weekend to reach 150 in the league.