Arne Slot has a fully fit senior squad to pick from against Everton, with Curtis Jones now available for a return to action at Anfield.
Liverpool’s good start to the season hasn’t just come on the pitch. The Reds’ record in the injury room is also pretty clean, with only Stefan Bajcetic of the first team squad now sidelined.
In his pre-match press conference, Slot offered an update on Jones’ recent injury, while outlining how Alexander Isak has recovered from his debut against Atletico Madrid.
Here is who will miss out for Liverpool vs. Everton and Slot’s updates:
Slot’s Friday update on Jones is the notable piece of injury news going into the derby, with the midfielder now “in the squad” for the first time in three weeks.
The 24-year-old has been absent since his substitute appearance against Arsenal, when he got injured. Slot hasn’t specified the problem from which the midfielder suffered.
Having missed three weeks of football, it feels most likely Jones will start on the bench, especially given the strong performances of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai against Atletico.
Elsewhere on the pitch, Isak could drop out of the starting XI for Hugo Ekitike after making his debut in midweek.
Liverpool’s head coach explained: “Alex (Isak) did feel his body more than ever before after the 60 minutes he played, so let’s see how he recovered today and then we’ll think about the lineup.”
With Isak’s staggered introduction to game time in mind, we would expect Ekitike to start in front of Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo – not a bad forward line still!
The most likely change in defence would be at left-back, as Milos Kerkez potentially comes back in for Andy Robertson, while Jeremie Frimpong remains at right-back.
Gravenberch and Szoboszlai were excellent against Atletico, but there is a train of thought that suggests Alexis Mac Allister may be more suited to this game, as Liverpool try to unlock an Everton side set up to defend.
The only current absentee from the first team squad through injury is Bajcetic.
The 20-year-old is currently training outdoors individually as he recovers from a hamstring surgery that he underwent at the end of May.
He could soon return, though, with under-21s manager Rob Page telling media, including This Is Anfield, that “it is a possibility” we see the Spaniard play for his team in the coming weeks.
“It’s about getting him back on the grass, it’s about exposing him to minutes to get him back up to full fitness,” the former Wales manager added.
• READ: Liverpool lineups vs. Everton – Mac Allister squeezed out or Szoboszlai at right-back?
Liverpool’s available squad vs. Everton
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvilli, Woodman
Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Leoni, Kerkez, Robertson, Bradley, Frimpong
Midfielders: Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Jones Endo, Nyoni
Forwards: Wirtz, Salah, Gakpo, Isak, Ekitike, Chiesa, Ngumoha