The latest Liverpool news as the Reds host Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon
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Liverpool will have the chance to increase their lead at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday as they take on bottom side Southampton at Anfield (3pm kick-off). With Arsenal not in action until Sunday, a win would see them open the gap further to 16 points, although the Gunners will have two games in hand.
The Reds will go into the match on a high, having snatched a 1-0 advantage from the away leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash against Paris Saint Germain on Wednesday night. Harvey Elliott’s goal was the difference between the two sides, with Goalkeeper Alisson earning praise for his performance.
While eyes may be on the second leg on Tuesday night, concentration will also be on avoiding a slip-up against the Saints. Ahead of the match, Southampton manager Ivan Juric has confirmed an injury boost for his side, with just one defender unavailable.
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"We are all good, only James Bree is out," he said in his pre-match press conference. "I can say that when we had our defensive (options), we were much better with Jan (Bednarek) and with (Taylor) Harwood-Bellis.
"I didn't have to adapt anybody who was there in the defence. Now everybody is coming back. This is good news for us."
There is also a doubt over winger Ryan Fraser. The 31-year-old has missed the last five goals with a calf injury.
For Liverpool, Arne Slot has confirmed that forward Cody Gakpo is a doubt with him yet to return to training after being forced to sit out the game against PSG. “He didn’t train yesterday yet so let’s see if he can train with us today,” Slot said. “Again, close call. It’s not a long term injury.
“But, yeah, he still had a bit of pain yesterday so was not able to train. Let’s see where he is today so I can give you the answer.”
The Reds’ boss also confirmed that defender Joe Gomez is out for three months due to a hamstring injury. Conor Bradley will also be unavailable for the clash against Southampton.