Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool embrace after the draw during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Fulham FC at Anfield on December 14, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)placeholder image
Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool embrace after the draw during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Fulham FC at Anfield on December 14, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool prepare to face Manchester United in the Premier League but three players look likely to miss out.
Liverpool look set to be without one of their experienced players when they return to action after the international break against Manchester United (16.30 BST).
The Reds face their fierce foes at Anfield looking to break a run of three successive defeats. The Premier League champions also head into the clash now four points behind Arsenal, who earned a 1-0 win at Fulham yesterday while Manchester City leapfrogged Liverpool following their 2-0 win over Everton.
Arne Slot will have much to ponder when it comes to his starting line-up against Manchester United. The Reds were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea last time out and it could see the head coach tinker with his team.
There is good news that Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch are set to be fit. Konate sustained a quad injury against Chelsea and left France duty early. Meanwhile, Gravenberch picked out a minor hamstring issue in Holland’s victory over Finland.
Endo absent
Endo pulled out of Japan’s squad for friendlies against Paraguay and Brazil respectively. The midfielder made a brief cameo off the bench against Chelsea. And in the latest edition of Inside Training posted by Liverpool’s media team-mate, Endo could be spotted on the grass at the AXA Training Pitch undergoing an individual session.
That is a suggestion that the 32-year-old will not be involved for the visit of United. It means that it is likely that Rio Ngumoha returns to the bench against Ruben Amorim’s side, having travelled to Chelsea but was not named as part of the match-day squad.
‘So mentally strong’
Endo has been a bit-part player since Slot’s arrival as head coach. However, en route to winning the Premier League title last season, he proved to be a valuable commodity off the bench to see out victories.
The Liverpool boss previously said: “I think Wata has been really useful for us this season. It’s not always a matter of how many minutes you play, you can be very important in two minutes and you can be less important in 90 minutes.
“What makes Wata special, in my opinion, is every time we have to rely on him – if it’s five, 10, 20 or 25 minutes – he shows up. That sounds much more simple than it is because if a player has hardly had a lot of playing time then to be mentally so strong that if the team needs you, you can bring your best performance in – that is not always easy.
“The only thing is defending is always more easy than creating. So if you play a player who hasn’t played for a long time and he has to create something, it is always more difficult than defending. “He’s been important for us.”
Endo’s expected absence means Liverpool will be without three senior players, with Alisson Becker still recovering from a hamstring injury. It means that Giorgi Mamardashvili will continue in goal. Giovanni Leoni, meanwhile, will not play again this campaign after rupturing his ACL and having surgery.
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