Liverpool could be without defender Virgil van Dijk for Wednesday’s Premier League visit of Leicester City, with the influential defender struggling with illness.
With Jurgen Klopp’s side four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, they will face their next test at Anfield with the visit of the ninth-placed Foxes, who have not won in their last three matches.
But Liverpool may go into the 8pm kick-off without their key defender as Van Dijk has been under the weather this week. The Netherlands international has not trained since returning from a warm-weather training camp in Dubai earlier this week, and he will require a swift recovery in order to be in contention for the Premier League clash.
Should Van Dijk fail to recover in time, Dejan Lovren is likely to deputise as the Croatia international is back in contention having recovered from a hamstring injury that ruled him out for two weeks.
Liverpool have further concerns with James Milner suspended after he was sent off during the 4-3 win over Crystal Palace 10 days ago, though Fabinho has recovered well from his own bout of illness.
Klopp’s other main injury concern is the fitness of England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who continues to struggle with a knee injury.
Leicester City meanwhile have received an injury boost with the news that England defender Harry Maguire is set to be fit to start.
Maguire suffered a leg injury shortly after half-time during Leicester’s Premier League defeat at Wolves on 19 January and was forced off the field, but he has been included in the squad for this week’s encounter by Claude Puel and looks set to keep his place at the heart of the defence.
That means the only long-term injury concern for Puel remains Daniel Amartey, who continues his recovery from a broken ankle in October.
Teams news
Liverpool provisional squad: TBC
Leicester provisional squad: Schmeichel, Ward, Jakupovic, Simpson, Chilwell, Morgan, Evans, Maguire, Pereira, Soyuncu, Fuchs, Maddison, Albrighton, Gray, Silva, Mendy, Ndidi, Choudhury, Ghezzal, Iheanacho, Barnes, Okazaki, Vardy.
