Xherdan Shaqiri, Mohamed Salah - Watford vs. Liverpool

Getty Images

Neil Jones

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

The Reds can maintain their place at the top of the Premier League with a win over Javi Gracia's Hornets at Anfield

It won't get the build-up of Sunday's game, but Liverpool's next fixture is no less important.

After going back to the top of the Premier League with a goalless draw at Manchester United, the Reds welcome Watford to Anfield on Wednesday night.

With Manchester City in action at home to West Ham at the same time, it promises to be another tense evening in the title race.

Article continues below

Watford arrive on the back of a 5-1 win away at Cardiff last Friday, but were beaten 3-0 when the sides met at Vicarage Road back in November.

Here, Goal takes a look at everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday's game...

Next matches

Liverpool Injuries

The big concern for Liverpool surrounds Roberto Firmino, who was forced off in the first half at Old Trafford with an ankle injury. The Brazilian is unlikely to be risked in this game even if he is passed fit to feature.

Dejan Lovren is also set to miss out once more due to a hamstring issue.

Joe Gomez is still sidelined, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains out - though the former Arsenal man is edging ever closer to a first-team return.

Getty Images

Liverpool Suspensions

Liverpool do not have any suspended players for this game.

Liverpool Likely Line-Up

We can expect at least a couple of changes from the side which started at Old Trafford.

Firmino's absence means a re-jig in attack for Jurgen Klopp, who may start with Xherdan Shaqiri on the right and move Mohamed Salah into a central attacking role. Salah was desperately poor against Manchester United but scored the opening goal against Watford last time out.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will likely replace James Milner at right-back, while in midfield there will be calls for Naby Keita to inject some dynamism into Klopp's chosen trio. The unlucky man could well be captain Jordan Henderson, who was sacrificed at Old Trafford as Liverpool chased a winner.

Watford Team News

Watford will be without left-back Jose Holebas, who is serving a suspension, while Kiko Femenia is a doubt for the game with a hamstring injury.

Other than that, it looks to be a clean bill of health for Gracia, who will hope Gerard Deulofeu, the former Everton forward, can be as devastating as he was at Cardiff last week.

Gerard Deulofeu Troy Deeney Watford 2019

Getty

TV Channel & Kick-Off Time

The game will kick off at 8pm UK time, and will not be shown live on UK television. Highlights can be found on Match of the Day, BBC One at 10.45pm.

In the United States, the game can be watched live on television on NBC Sports, kick-off 3pm ET.

Best Opta Match Facts

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with Watford (W5 D1), netting 20 goals and keeping four clean sheets in that run.
Watford have lost 10 of their 11 top-flight away games against Liverpool, with the only exception being a 1-0 victory in their first ever Premier League game at Anfield in August 1999.
Only against Arsenal (15) have Liverpool scored more Premier League goals at Anfield than they have against Watford (13) under Jurgen Klopp.
Watford have lost their last 11 away Premier League games against ‘big six’ teams since beating Arsenal at the Emirates in January 2017.
Liverpool have scored at least five goals in their last two home Premier League games against Watford (6-1, 5-0); the last top-flight team to do so against an opponent in three consecutive seasons back-to-back were Man City against Chelsea between 1956-57 and 1958-59.
Watford’s Gerard Deulofeu became the first Hornets player to score a top-flight hat-trick since Mark Falco in 1986 in their 5-1 victory at Cardiff City.
Liverpool’s front three have all been directly involved in more than five goals each for the Reds in Premier League meetings with Watford – Mohamed Salah has six goals and one assist in three games, Sadio Mane has three goals and three assists in four games, and Roberto Firmino has five goals and three assists in seven games.
Of players to have played at least three games against a specific opponent in the Premier League, no-one has a better goals-per-game ratio than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah does against Watford (6 in 3, 2 goals-per-game, the same as Michael Owen vs West Bromwich Albion and Luis Suarez vs Norwich City).
Watford have lost their last 10 top flight matches against teams starting the day top, a run stretching back to September 1986.
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 26 home matches at Anfield in February in all competitions (W19 D6), a 2-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in February 2013.