The latest injury news ahead of the Merseyside Derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park.
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Alisson in action for Liverpool.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is edging closer to making his return from injury.
(Image: (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images))
Liverpool and Everton will both be without a number of key players for the Premier League clash this lunchtime. While there are several injury doubts, the Merseyside Derby itself is also in jeopardy due to Storm Darragh with a severe weather warning placed on several parts of the UK including the North West.
Currently, the showdown is due to go ahead with the two clubs releasing a joint-statement warning supporters travelling to Goodison Park to take due care. Given their injury issues, a postponement would perhaps not be the worst outcome for Arne Slot.
Their latest injury concern involved Conor Bradley - with the young right-back taken off against Manchester City after starring in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Earlier that week, Ibrahima Konate suffered a knee injury in the final seconds of the Champions League win over Real Madrid.
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Those two defensive blows came after Kostas Tsimikas was spotted wearing a protective boot having picked a problem of his own while on international duty. "They will not be in the team this week [Bradley and Konate], for sure, and actually, I don't think Kostas will be with us in the upcoming week as well," Slot recently revealed on the aforementioned trio.
Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota have been two longer-term absentees at the top end of the pitch, but they are nearing returns, according to Slot. "With Diogo being close to being back, Federico being close to being back, and the same for Alisson," he admitted in his pre-Everton press conference.
On the return of Alisson specifically, the Liverpool boss added: "Not ready yet, but he will be ready very soon." Alongside the six players likely to miss out because of injury, Alexis Mac Allister will also have to watch on after picking up his fifth Premier League yellow card of the season in the 3-3 draw against Newcastle last time out.
As for Sean Dyche, he is expected to be without five Everton players, including Dele Alli and Youssef Chermiti. The Toffees are also missing several players in the spine of their team with summer signing Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner both still in recovery.
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"Tim is a bit of a way behind and so is Jimmy Garner, but they're in the process of getting back fit," Dyche said on Friday. However, it's possible that he welcomes Michael Keane back into the squad with the centre-back having missed the last two games.
"Michael will be touch and go coming back into it. He's got a minor knee ligament injury, which has kept him out," Dyche said. Nonetheless, it appears as though absentees will stretch into the double-figures - but both managers will back their teams to secure a positive result on derby day.