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Liverpool Team News: Injuries, suspensions and line-up vs Stoke City

Liverpool return to earth this weekend after their Champions League heroics in midweek, with Stoke City the latest visitors to Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds were in irresistible form as Roma were brushed aside in their semi-final first leg clash on Tuesday, but what will Paul Lambert's Premier League strugglers have in store?

Lambert has a good record at Anfield from his time at Aston Villa, but his side are approaching the crunch in their battle against relegation. Stoke are four points from safety and know that only victories will do now if they are to stay up.

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The return fixture ended in a 3-0 win for Liverpool back in November, with Mohamed Salah scoring twice.

Here, Goal takes a look at everything you need to know ahead of the latest meeting...


Liverpool injuries


The sight of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being carried off on a stretcher against Roma was not what any Liverpool fan wanted to see. 

Klopp admitted it had taken the shine off his side's 5-2 win, and said the injury to the midfielder's knee looks "really bad". 

Liverpool confirmed on Thursday that he had suffered a knee ligament injury, bringing an end to his season and extinguishing his hopes of playing at the World Cup.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Adam Lallana (hamstring), Emre Can (back) and Joel Matip (thigh) on the missing list.

Nathaniel Clyne, however, was back on the bench against Roma after a muscle issue and could be involved.


Liverpool suspensions


Liverpool do not have any suspended players for this game. 


Liverpool starting line-up


Klopp found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, he would dearly love the luxury of rotating his players and keeping key ones fresh for the second leg in Rome next week.

On the other, he knows that Liverpool need the points in their battle for a top-four place, and that injuries mean his options are severely limited, especially in midfield.

Klopp has rested Dejan Lovren in defence, bringing in Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez. Trent Alexander-Arnold may have been moved into midfield in their usual 4-3-3 shape although it's impossible to rule out a 5-2-3 formation.

As for the front three, expect two of Salah and Firmino start with Mane rested, and Danny Ings gets the nod alongside them.

Confirmed Liverpool XI vs Stoke:  Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Klavan, Gomez, Van Dijk, Moreno, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah, Firmino, Ings

Liverpool GFX

Stoke team news


Stoke have a relatively clean bill of health, though they will be without Kostas Stafylidis (ribs) and Erik Maxim Choupo-Moting (knock) for this game.

Joe Allen, Glen Johnson, Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch are all in contention to face their former club.


TV channel & kick-off time


The fixture will be broadcast live in the UK (United Kingdom) on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, kick off 12.30pm.

In the United States , the game can be watched live on television on NBCSN, kick off 7.30am.


Best Opta match facts


  • Liverpool have never lost in 54 previous home top-flight games against Stoke (W43 D11 L0) – the longest ever unbeaten home run by one team against another in top-flight history.
  • Indeed, in all competitions, Stoke have won just four of their 70 away games against the Reds (D13 L53), winning 1-0 in a League Cup semi-final second leg match in January 2016, and three times in the second tier in the 1950s.
  • Liverpool have won their last five Premier League meetings with Stoke, since a 1-6 defeat at the Bet365 Stadium on the final day of the 2014-15 season.
  • Stoke have never scored a second half Premier League goal at Anfield in nine attempts – in fact, in their last 16 league visits, they’ve only scored in the second half once, with Paul Bracewell scoring in March 1983.
  • No side has conceded the first goal of a Premier League game more often than Stoke this season (21), while only Manchester City (28) have opened the scoring more often than Jurgen Klopp’s side (25).
  • The Potters are winless in 12 Premier League away games (D5 L7), the longest current run in the division and their longest such run since March 2014 (13).
  • Paul Lambert has never lost an away match at Anfield as a manager, winning three and drawing two of his five matches in all competitions. o Mohamed Salah has scored three goals from just four shots against Stoke in the Premier League, scoring with both shots against them in the reverse fixture.
  • Salah has also netted 31 Premier League goals this season – one more will see him become the outright top scorer in a 38-game season in the competition.
  • The Egyptian has netted in seven consecutive Premier League games at Anfield – the last player to score in eight in a row was Luis Suarez in January 2014.
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