Liverpool are all set to take on Fulham on Saturday as the Reds look to cement their position at the top of the Premier League.
The Reds should be raring to go having been forced to sit out last weekend following the cancellation of the Merseyside Derby.
Fulham, meanwhile, are ticking along nicely themselves. After picking up a helpful draw against Arsenal last time out, Marco Silva and his team are sitting 10th in the Premier League.
Unbeaten in their last three, the Cottagers may be quietly confident of snatching something at Anfield.
However, with Liverpool flying high at the top, Fulham fans will be realistic about their chances.
And the possibility of winning may have become a little more slim for Silva after seeing five players ruled out of the weekend trip to Merseyside.
Calvin Bassey and Joachim Andersen of Fulham celebrates their side's first goal during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle Uni...
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Fulham missing five for Liverpool clash
From a Liverpool point of view, they need to be careful against Fulham. The Londoners have not been an easy prospect for the Reds since their latest promotion in 2022.
Last year’s match-up at Anfield was a rollercoaster affair, with Liverpool needing late screamers from Wataru Endo and then Trent Alexander-Arnold to turn around a game which had started to look lost.
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The Liverpool squad also has injuries of its own going into this fixture, with the defence in particular looking stretched.
As per liverpoolfc.com, though, Fulham will not exactly be at full strength on Saturday, either.
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It’s reported that Silva will be missing five players at Anfield, with Joachim Andersen, Reiss Nelson and Harrison Reed all injured.
Calvin Bassey and Tom Cairney are suspended, meanwhile, which means the Cottagers are set to be without their first choice defensive partnership.
Who will play instead of Bassey and Andersen?
Bassey and Andersen have been two of Silva’s key players this season. The former has not missed a minute, while the latter was crucial up until his injury against Wolves in November.
Issa Diop has deputised for Andersen in the meantime, and the Frenchman is an experienced Premier League operator.
Bassey’s likely replacement, however, is not. Jorge Cuenca has played just three minutes of league football since arriving from Villarreal over the summer.
As Silva has no other senior centre-back options in the Fulham squad, Cuenca’s full Premier League debut is set to arrive at Anfield.
The 25-year-old has played plenty in Spain’s La Liga, but talk about baptisms of fire. Liverpool need to what they can to drive home this potential advantage.
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