Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders says he is “not sure” whether Trent Alexander-Arnold will be available for the Carabao Cup tie against Leicester City.
The vice-captain has not played for the Reds since the Aston Villa game nearly four weeks ago due to a hamstring injury. When asked about the fullback’s fitness in his pre-match press conference, Lijnders replied:
“Trent trained yesterday [Monday] with us. But it was just in the rondo and the ball possession with the counter-pressing, but he was outstanding. You see him instantly, of course. He is with the team training, I am not sure if he will be ready, we will see today [Tuesday].”
Fans on X don’t want Alexander-Arnold to be risked for the Leicester match but they are hopeful that he will face Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend:
Please don’t rush him
He is more important for Spurs than tomorrow— Dr.Paul Satvik (@paulsatvik) September 26, 2023
Back for the Spurs game then!?
— Ali (@ArtGridGoal) September 26, 2023
Good news that he is back but on need to rush him back we still contain players who are capable of doing things for the team .
— Firi450@gmail.com (@firi450) September 26, 2023
Happy for him
But shouldn’t start vs Spurs
Let him recover completely.— §🐦 (@GreatOmon) September 26, 2023
Hopefully back for the Tottenham game, if he doesn’t play though, hopefully Gomez can pull through with another exceptional performance.
— lfc_fp97 (@LFC_FP97) September 26, 2023
Give him week to rest and bench for spurs. He ain’t going to be able to deal with son. Gomez can do a solid RB job
— AK.47 (@AK474690) September 26, 2023
A big boost for Liverpool
While Joe Gomez has played pretty well as a makeshift fullback in recent games, manager Jurgen Klopp will be delighted that his chief playmaker is closing in on a return to full fitness.
After Tottenham’s impressive performance against Arsenal in the North London derby, the game on Saturday is likely to be one of the toughest tests that the Reds face this season, so having Alexander-Arnold available will be a huge bonus.
One other player remains sidelined
Thiago Alcantara is still not available for selection. The midfielder has not played since the back end of last season due to a hip injury.
When asked about the Spaniard’s fitness, Lijnders said very little, stating only that the “healing process” is “going well”. Don’t expect to see him this side of the next international break.
Watch a Liverpool and Everton Q&A about the Reds’ possible title challenge on Shots! TV
