Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana
Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images
The stark contrast between Premier League’s top and bottom could hardly be more pronounced as league leaders Liverpool prepare to welcome bottom-of-the-table Southampton to Anfield this Saturday.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool side sits a commanding 13 points clear at the summit with their title aspirations growing stronger each week, while Ivan Jurić’s Southampton appears increasingly destined for an immediate return to the Championship after a disastrous campaign that has yielded just nine points from 27 matches.
This weekend’s encounter represents yet another opportunity for the rampant Reds to further cement their position at the Premier League’s pinnacle, though they’ll need to regroup quickly after their midweek European exploits.
The Reds enter Saturday’s contest following an extraordinary 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League last-16 first leg encounter at the Parc des Princes.
Despite being comprehensively outplayed for large portions of the match, Slot’s men secured a precious advantage thanks to Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute winner and a heroic performance from goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Slot himself acknowledged his team “got lucky” in Paris, with the Brazilian shot-stopper producing a string of remarkable saves to deny the dominant hosts.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at Southampton’s injury situation with four set to return against the Reds this weekend.
Former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana appears set to make a return to Anfield this weekend after missing Southampton’s recent match against Chelsea due to a hamstring issue.
The experienced midfielder has been sidelined for several games, but is now passed fit by manager Ivan Juric.
Polish center-back Jan Bednarek is likely to return to Southampton’s defense after sitting out their trip to Stamford Bridge. Bednarek’s absence against Chelsea was described by manager Ivan Juric as precautionary rather than due to a serious injury concern.
Full-back Kyle Walker-Peters also returns for the Liverpool clash after sustaining a calf injury during Southampton’s match against Chelsea. The defender was “struggling with his calf and eventually asked to come off early in the second half”.
Meanwhile, Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu will return to the squad after being ineligible to face his parent club in their previous fixture.
Juric confirmed in his press conference that his players are “all OK”.
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