Liverpool v Aston Villa: Team news
Jürgen Klopp is unsure whether Diogo Jota will be fit for Liverpool’s meeting with Aston Villa, but Divock Origi is set to be available.
Both forwards were absent from Thursday afternoon’s session at the AXA Training Centre, with Klopp reporting during Friday’s pre-match press conference: “Diogo felt something after the last Premier League game and he didn’t train yet.
“We will see, maybe he can train today and then he is an option and if not, then not.
“Divock was just intensity, we took him out for a day, extra recovery day, and I think he will be fine for tomorrow. I didn’t hear anything different.”
Roberto Firmino - who has missed the Reds’ last seven games due to a hamstring injury - was back in team training on Thursday, while Joe Gomez and Naby Keita returned from their own lay-offs as substitutes as Klopp’s side beat AC Milan 2-1 in midweek.
However, a fractured cheekbone sustained during the victory at San Siro will rule Nat Phillips out for approximately four or five weeks and Harvey Elliott is continuing his recovery from ankle surgery.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, will be able to call on Danny Ings and Matt Targett after they were absent for last Sunday’s win over Leicester City due to injury.
“We've got Danny Ings back which is a real positive,” Gerrard told the media on Friday.
“People who have been coming back from injuries a few weeks back are getting fit and stronger and are pushing for places so there's a load of positivity going around at the moment.
“Matty Targett has trained all week. He’s ready to go. Danny’s trained as well, but we obviously have to be really respectful to where he’s at given the setback he had from the previous injury. But he’s trained the last two sessions and has looked really strong, so he’ll come back into the squad.
“We’ll certainly manage Danny over the next seven to eight days but I believe he’ll certainly play a big part as well."
Leon Bailey, Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet remain sidelined, but Morgan Sanson was due to train on Friday after illness.
Gerrard continued: “We have a couple of kicks from yesterday, but we think they’re all going to pull through. Morgan Sanson wasn’t feeling too well but we’ve had good news this morning that he’ll be back in to train.”
Last match
AC Milan 1-2 Liverpool (December 7): Alisson, Williams, Konate, Phillips, Tsimikas, Morton, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Mane, Salah, Origi.
Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City (December 5): Martinez, Young, Mings, Konsa, Cash, Douglas Luiz, Nakamba, McGinn, Watkins, Ramsey, Buendia.