The five players that Liverpool may be without against Tottenham due to Virgil van Dijk’s serious injury
Today is Jürgen Klopp’s farewell game at Anfield as Liverpool takes on Tottenham. Virgil van Dijk is one of the five players the Reds may be missing when they meet Spurs.
For now, Liverpool has little more to play for than pride with just three games left. But, since Tottenham is coming to Anfield this afternoon, more retaliation might also be necessary.
Those hopes of a Reds championship are all but gone today. Liverpool has only won once in their previous five league games, falling behind Manchester City and Arsenal. Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are expected to square off in the coming weeks.
It appears that a third-place result is the final thing to be decided, as they have already guaranteed their spot in the Champions League for the following season. That might happen with a win today, or even if Aston Villa loses against Brighton first.
Jürgen Klopp will undoubtedly be motivated to end his career on a positive note as he gets ready for his farewell game at Anfield. In addition, he’ll be motivated to defeat today’s rival following the injustice in North London earlier in the season.
What happened in September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is still fresh in Klopp’s memory. Who knows what impact, if it had been given correctly, Luis Díaz’s goal could have had on the season.
For that reason, the Reds will be itching to get even for that 2-1 loss. However, it appears that they will have to proceed without their skipper.
Virgil van Dijk is a serious doubt for today’s match because he was not present for training this week. Although Klopp said on Friday that the defender might have participated in “parts” of the practice that day, it doesn’t appear likely that he will play today.
Additionally sidelined, but hopefully back before the season ends, is Diogo Jota. However, Conor Bradley, who has been back in training after a brief absence, might rejoin the team. Ben Doak, Thiago Alcântara, and Joël Matip are still not playing.
After Mohamed Salah and Klopp got into a heated argument at West Ham last weekend, everyone will be watching to see if Salah starts. The Egyptian may make a comeback to the starting lineup because the Liverpool manager has insisted that the issue has been handled.
With Jota absent, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo will likely square off in the opening exchanges. As usual, Luis Díaz should begin on the left.
While Alexis Mac Allister is a near lock for the midfield position, the remainder of the engine room is somewhat of a wild card. It hasn’t been operating too well lately, but Dominik Szoboszlai might be headed back into the starting lineup after being selected on the bench against West Ham.
At the centre of the defence, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, and Ibrahima Konaté will likely start because Van Dijk is expected to be out. Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold will start in their customary positions for the team.