Perhaps no club needs a 2022-23 reset quite like Liverpool FC. Jurgen Klopp ended the first third of the season with a 3-1 win over their farm club, Southampton FC, but they are still languishing at 8th place in the table.
Having endured a very injury-riddled campaign thus far, they sit 15 points behind league leaders Arsenal at the World Cup break. Now comes a warm weather training camp, and two club friendlies, in the Middle East.
AC Milan, Arsenal, Liverpool, & Olympique Lyonnais will be competing to be crowned the Dubai Super Cup Champion & we’ll have it all in brilliant HD from *-Dec on ST World Football Ch. 245 & StarTimes ON App? https://t.co/rZyMN2Rb3P#DubaiSuperCup #StarTimes #StarTimesSports pic.twitter.com/Jj7iNEqNAJ
— StarTimes Ghana (@startimesghana) December 6, 2022
Dubai Super Cup FYIs
Kickoff: Liverpool vs Lyon, 2pm UK, Sunday Dec. 11
Where: Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Stream: LFC TV or LFC TV GO
Last Meeting: 2019, Liverpool won 3-1 in a club friendly
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
World Cup Preview Segments: WGN Radio NTD News Insert Name FC
Liverpool Team News
The Reds will take on Olympique Lyonnais in the Dubai Super Cup on Sunday, so let’s preview. We start with Klopp, who is being linked to the Germany job once again, but his agent has shot that down, saying his client is not interested. This trip provides a chance for those who were out injured thus far to recover and ease back into the swing of things.
Midfielder Naby Keita, defender Joel Matip, as well as forwards Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are a part of the traveling squad, so that means they will be fit enough to feature, at least in some capacity, here.
But loanee Arthur Melo remains out with a long-term injury.
It goes without saying that Liverpool will be without their stars who are still competing in neighboring Qatar, and those whose teams have just been eliminated from the World Cup.
Those footballers need a holiday too. The full squad list is below.
Liverpool FC Dubai Travel Squad
Attack: Firmino, Salah, Jota, Diaz, Carvalho, Gordon, Frauendorf, Stewart, Doak
Midfield: Thiago, Milner, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Elliott, Arthur, Clark, Bajcetic, Cain, Corness
Defense: Gomez, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Robertson, Matip, Phillips, Chambers, Quansah
Goalkeeping: Adrian, Kelleher, Davies, Mrozek, Pitaluga
Prediction: Liverpool 2, Lyon 2
Who knows when it comes to a preseason (let’s be frank this is another preseason here) friendly. Hard to gauge who will take this seriously, and if so, how seriously.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.