Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa ‘should be back in contention’ for Saturday’s clash against Brighton, having missed Tuesday’s win over Inter through illness.
Chiesa ‘Back In Contention’ For Liverpool vs Brighton
Federico Chiesa ‘should be back in contention’ for Liverpool against Brighton on Saturday.
The Italian missed the Reds’ trip to the San Siro in midweek through illness, but the Daily Mail report that he is expected to recover in time for this weekend’s Premier League fixture.
Arne Slot’s side claimed a 1-0 win over Inter courtesy of an 88th minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty, seeing them climb up to ninth place in the Champions League league phase table.
Liverpool are now at 10/1 in the latest Champions League winner betting odds, with the likes of Arsenal, Bayern, PSG, Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid rated ahead of them.
Chiesa’s mooted return comes as a major boost for Slot, as it gives him another option out wide amid the uncertainty over whether Mohamed Salah will be involved in the game or not.
Salah was omitted from the Merseysiders’ squad for their midweek continental clash after his explosive outburst following their draw against Leeds at Elland Road last weekend.
Having failed to feature after being named on the bench for a third consecutive match, the Egyptian told journalists in the mixed zone that the club had thrown him ‘under the bus’.
Subsequently, the 33-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club in January.
Al Ittihad lead the race for his signature, according to the latest Mo Salah next club odds.
It has also been suggested that the Seagulls’ visit could be Salah’s last game for Liverpool.
He is due to link up with the Egypt national team on Monday ahead of AFCON later this month.
Liverpool Injury Update: Gakpo Ruled Out
Like Chiesa and Salah, both Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo missed out on the trip to Milan.
Slot confirmed that Gakpo suffered an unspecified injury late on in the 3-3 draw away at Leeds last Saturday, with the Netherlands international set to sit on the sidelines for ‘a few weeks’.
Endo, meanwhile, could return to the squad, as he was only suffering with a minor knock.
Elsewhere, Jeremie Frimpong has been out with a hamstring injury since October but hopes to return in the next week or so. It is unclear whether he will be involved against the Seagulls.
Conor Bradley is out due to a suspension, opening the door for a second consecutive start at right-back for Joe Gomez, while Szoboszlai is one yellow card away from a ban of his own.
Long-term absentee Giovanni Leoni remains out of action. The young Italian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear against Southampton in the Carabao Cup back in September.
Liverpool head into the weekend in 10th place in the English top-flight table, having recorded just one win in their last five games. They have drawn each of their last two in the league.
Anything but a win against Brighton will see pressure continue to mount on Premier League sack race odds favourite Slot, who is at 6/4 ahead of Leeds’ Daniel Farke to go next.
Should he depart, Jurgen Klopp is favoured to return in the latest next Liverpool manager odds.
