Liverpool complete the first round of the UEFA Champions League competition, in its new format for the first time this season, with a trip to PSV Eindhoven. They’ll head to the Netherlands on Wednesday night with only three injury concerns: Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota and Joe Gomez.
Let’s get you up to speed on this trio, and their current situations.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 of 8
Liverpool FC at PSV Eindhoven
Kickoff: Wed. Jan. 29, 8pm, Phillips Stadion, London , UK
Liverpool Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
UCL Standings, Form: Liverpool 1st, 21 pts, WWWWW PSV Eindhoven 19th, 11 pts, DWWLW
We start with Curtis Jones, and his unspecified/undisclosed injury, of which the extent is really not known either.
Said Arne Slot yesterday:
“He went out during half-time, so that’s mostly not a good sign, and [that’s] because he will not be available for the game. We have to wait and see how long it’s going to take. I’m not expecting months… but let’s see if he’s available for PSV or Bournemouth.”
So there you have it in, Jones is contention for midweek.
Regarding Jota (muscular injury) and Gomez (thigh/hamstring), the last thing Slot said about their status was the following:
“It is always difficult to say exactly how long it is. Both of them are not going to be out for months, that’s for sure, as long as the rehab goes as planned…’Maybe Jota [will be back] a bit earlier than Joe. Both of them are expected to be back with us in weeks rather than months.”
“He overloaded a certain muscle.”
While Liverpool sit first in the UCL table, they have not clinched the top overall spot as of yet. However, a draw or better would do so.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.