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Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool looks on with teammates during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield on November 09, 2024 in Liverpool, England. | Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
The Reds return to domestic action against Southampton on Sunday
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Southampton on Sunday, head coach Arne Slot updated the press on his side’s fitness and availablility.
Captain Virgil Van Dijk is available to face Southampton, having come home from the international break early as a means to manage his game time — a move suggesting a good relationship between Slot and his country’s national team.
Harvey Elliott could make a return to the side as he has returned to training with the first team after a lengthy recovery from his injury picked up early in this season’s international duty calendar.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa, and Diogo Jota continue their recoveries and are not available for selection on Sunday, though Chiesa might return to the group training for “one exercise” on Friday.
In terms of fitness Slot expects the group to return to training soon, though is approaching their recoveries with an abundance of caution — and notes that a return to full training does not necessarily indicate immediate match fitness and readiness.
Slot did not give a firm answer either way on personnel expected for either Real Madrid in the Champions League mid-week or Manchester City at the weekend.
