After a straight-forward 4-0 win over Southampton, Liverpool heads across Stanley Park to face Everton on Wednesday.
The Reds currently sit third in the table, two points behind league leaders Chelsea, with Everton 14th. But records never really matter in this fixture, and bragging rights will be on the line between the two longtime rivals.
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Injury News
Right now it seems to be status quo with Liverpool in terms of injuries. Naby Keita, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Roberto Firmino are all set to miss out on Wednesday.
Jurgen Klopp said Tuesday that Keita and Gomez are close to returning, with Firmino being about another week away.
Curtis Jones is still recovering from an eye injury, and is waiting for doctor’s clearance before he can return to full-contact drills. Everyone else should be available, except for Harvey Elliott, who is still dealing with a long-term injury.
Van Dijk returns to Goodison
It’s been a little more than a year since Liverpool’s last trip to Goodison Park, which saw Virgil van Dijk lost for the season after a late and rash challenge from Jordan Pickford.
The injury changed the course of Liverpool’s season, and had them scrambling in the back for most of the year.
Van Dijk is getting closer to his normal high levels every time he is on the pitch, as he scored on Saturday against his former club Southampton.
While he may not come out and say it publicly, this match has probably been circled on his calendar since last year.
Rafa faces his former club
This isn’t the first time Rafa Benitez will face his former club, having done so six previous times since leaving the club that he led to a Champions League title in 2005.
He hasn’t had the best record against the Reds though, with three draws and three losses in those games. His only two wins against Liverpool came before his arrival to Merseyside, when he was at Valencia.
Liverpool supporters still have the utmost respect for Benitez, for what he did on and off the pitch for this club.
It should be an interesting dynamic when he leads Everton out on Wednesday.
Betting Lines
Liverpool at -260 favorites in the match on Wednesday. Everton are receiving +650 odds for a win and there are +425 odds on a draw.