Liverpool predicted XI vs. Nottingham Forest: Two changes expected as Alisson & Isak face fitness battlesplaceholder image
Liverpool predicted XI vs. Nottingham Forest: Two changes expected as Alisson & Isak face fitness battles | Getty Images
The latest Liverpool team news ahead of their game against Nottingham Forest - with updates on Alisson, Alexander Isak and more.
Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday when they welcome Sean Dyche’s struggling Nottingham Forest side to Anfield – and could be boosted by the return of several key players from injury.
Alisson, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong are all in contention for minutes this weekend, while there is a positive update on one of Liverpool’s long-term absentees as well – but will any of Liverpool’s returning players be fit to start against Forest?
We’ve got all of the latest Liverpool team news and injury updates below, along with our prediction for Arne Slot’s starting line-up on Saturday.
Will Alexander Isak and Alisson start against Nottingham Forest?
Liverpool have been forced to make do without record signing Isak for a month after the striker sustained a thigh injury against Eintracht Frankfurt, but the 26-year-old made his comeback for the Swedish national team on Saturday after he made a second-half substitute appearance against Switzerland.
He was then rested again for the final game of Sweden’s World Cup qualifying campaign against Slovenia, but new national manager Graham Potter insisted that it was merely to avoid the risk of him picking up a yellow card that would see him suspended for the start of the play-offs in March. Isak should play at least some part against Forest, but there is a strong chance that he starts on the bench due to a broader lack of match fitness.
First-choice goalkeeper Alisson, meanwhile, has missed the last eight Liverpool games due to a hamstring problem but The Evening Standard report that he is expected to return to full training on Thursday in preparation for him to retake his starting spot from Giorgio Mamardashvili. Prior to the international break, Slot said that Alisson would “for sure” be ready for the Forest match and that seems likely to prove accurate.
Jeremie Frimpong could return for Liverpool
There’s also a good chance that right wing-back Jeremie Frimpong is available again after he recovered from a hamstring injury of his own – but Slot has been cautious with his comments about his compatriot’s impending return.
Slot has said that Liverpool expect Frimpong to be back in training ahead of the Forest match, but that they “don’t expect” the summer signing to be “fully fit” heading into the game. A place on the bench is plausible, but he is very unlikely to start with Conor Bradley expected to keep his starting berth for the time being.
Although it’s unlikely to be relevant for this weekend, there has also been some good news concerning the fitness of young midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, who has had a tough time with injuries over the past two years. The Spaniard is now back in training following his recovery from hamstring surgery over the summer, and could make his comeback with the Under-21s in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere, Jayden Danns and Giovanni Leoni remain out for the long term due to serious knee injuries, with neither of the promising players expected to play again this season.
Liverpool predicted line-up vs. Nottingham Forest: Alisson; Kerkez, Van Dijk, Konaté, Bradley; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Wirtz, Ekitiké, Salah.
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