Jurgen Klopp’s anxiety levels will have perhaps gone up a notch after it was confirmed that Joe Gomez suffered a knock – though the Englishman does make the bench – whilst Bobby Firmino is ‘absent’ from Liverpool’s matchday squad ‘as a precaution’.
This update comes courtesy of a tweet from The Athletic’s James Pearce ahead of the Reds’ impending meeting with Crystal Palace at Anfield.
Joe Gomez had been carrying a knock so only deemed fit enough for bench duty tonight so Nat Phillips makes his first PL start since May 2021 in absence of the injured Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip.
Keita and Tsimikas return to the squad. Firmino absent as a precaution. #LFC
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) August 15, 2022
The Brazilian international joins the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Co. on the sidelines, though hopefully only temporarily whilst fans await an update from the medical department.
After what was a grueling pre-season by Jurgen Klopp’s own admission, questions will inevitably form around the intensity of the sessions that took place and links between the current crop of injuries.
Poor luck is certainly also plausible as fans will remember from Liverpool’s 2020/21 season, though the return of Naby Keita and Kostas Tsimikas to the squad will offer some seeds of hope that a serious crisis can be avoided in the opening stages of the campaign.
We remain fortunate, at the very least, to remain in possession of quality backup options, for instance, Nat Phillips who has been the subject of interest from newly promoted outfits Fulham and Bournemouth.
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