As Liverpool prepare for the second of their two Dubai Super Cup club friendlies, this time against AC Milan, on Friday night, there is plenty of squad fitness news to report on.
Yes, with a side so notoriously injury-riddled this season, it takes a double shot of team news posts to accurately cover it all. Our early team news, with updates on Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz can be found here.
Dubai Super Cup FYIs
Kickoff: 3:30pm UK, Friday Dec. 16, Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Stream: LFC TV or LFC TV GO
Liverpool Early Team News: go here
Liverpool Starting XI Prediction: go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
World Cup Preview Segments: WGN Radio NTD News Insert Name FC
While they have nothing short of an injury crisis on their hands, things got a little better with both Naby Keita and Joel Matip able to feature in the 3-1 loss to Lyon in thei Dubai Super Cup opener.
“There was one session where we got advice to rest [Matip] a little bit, but it was not from him, it was from the medical department, [so] that’s what we did,” manager Jurgen Klopp said after the match.
“Apart from that he could do everything. Looked good today, 45 minutes was again what we were allowed to use him. That’s what we did. That’s good.
“Naby’s first 30 minutes, I think, for a while. Very helpful as well, important position, important player, so that was [what] we should only use him [for], 30 minutes. I think against AC Milan next Friday they are probably able to play a bit longer.”
Harvey Elliott is a doubt after picking up a knock against Lyon.
In addition, Klopp’s side will still be without the services of a few players who were just dismissed of international duty, due to their national teams having been eliminated from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, of which only three teams are still alive and only three matches remain.
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 the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.