Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Arne Slot had to deal with some awkward lines of questioning in his pre-Everton press conference as his side prepare for the 245th Merseyside derby.
The Reds, sitting 12 points clear at the Premier League summit with 70 points from 29 games, aim to edge closer to their 20th league title.
Meanwhile, Everton—unbeaten in nine league matches under David Moyes—seek to disrupt their neighbors’ momentum while solidifying their mid-table position (15th, 34 points).
Anfield is set to host its largest-ever crowd for a Merseyside derby on Wednesday night.
The previous attendance record for this fixture at Anfield was 56,060, set during a goalless draw in April 1963.
However, that figure is expected to be comfortably surpassed following the expansion of the Anfield Road Stand, which has increased the stadium’s capacity to 61,276.
Both sides will be carrying some injury concerns heading into the tie.
The likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson, who both returned early from the international break, are expected to be fit to play against the Toffees.
But the injured trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, and Joe Gomez will continue to be out for the foreseeable future.
And for Everton, some disappointing news has emerged on the their injury front.
Key attacker Iliman Ndiaye sustained medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage during the Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park
The forward twisted his knee in a challenge with Virgil van Dijk and was subsequently ruled out for several weeks.
Fortunately, scans revealed only partial ligament damage, avoiding the need for surgery.
But for the Toffees, it seems that the trip to Anfield comes to soon for the 25-yea-old.
That’s because Goodison News have got in touch with Dr Brar, a specialist in Physical Therapy and a Sports Scientist, who said about Ndiaye:
“Based on the injury timeline, this sounds like a Grade 2 MCL injury.
“These heal quite well, so re-injury risks are low, but he will be going through a methodical return to training and match process to get up speed on fitness.”
“Despite him being spotted in training, it’s unlikely he’ll be ready for a high-intensity fixture in mid-week.“
Ndiaye has been in decent form for Everton so far this season, managing 6 goals in 24 Premier League appearances.
Other Everton injury worries include Vitaliy Mykolenko, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Dwight McNeil.
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