MatchFulham v Liverpool: Carabao Cup team news
Andy Robertson could make his return from injury in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Fulham.
The left-back, who has been sidelined since October following shoulder surgery, participated in team training on Monday and is set to travel to London for the tie at Craven Cottage.
Wednesday’s game, into which the Reds take a 2-1 lead from the first leg, comes too soon for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai, however, with both instead targeting comebacks in Sunday’s Emirates FA Cup meeting with Norwich City.
Pepijn Lijnders told Liverpoolfc.com on Tuesday: “Let’s start with Robbo because he trained yesterday with the team. It’s now 13 weeks, he had his meeting with the surgeon to make sure that everything is right to go into full contact – it’s clear.
“So, he did a lot of work and really good rehab throughout the last period, so he’s fit in terms of sports science. Now he has to get fit with proper team training.
"So, that’s a big, big advantage to have him back. We were waiting for a long time – he’s one of our captains. I just met him in the canteen and he said, ‘Pep, I have my tracksuit with me!’ So, he’s pushing himself into the squad, so that’s good. He will travel.”
The assistant manager added: “Trent is progressing well through his rehab, working hard – how he is as a guy, knowing how important the next weeks are. But he will back in the end of the week for team training, so hopefully he will be available for the FA Cup.
“Dom trained yesterday with us, just one small-sided game, one-touch game, but played good, felt good, did some extra work with the sports science team. He is ready but tomorrow comes too early for him, so he will be ready for the weekend if nothing goes wrong.”
Lijnders reported that Curtis Jones is fit after his ‘precautionary’ withdrawal in the latter stages of the 4-0 win at AFC Bournemouth, while Kostas Tsimikas is around two weeks away from team training as he continues his recovery from a collarbone problem.
Mohamed Salah will return to the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday to begin an intensive rehabilitation programme following the muscle injury he sustained during Egypt’s ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.
Lijnders said: “The only reason why our medical team and their [Egypt’s] medical team decided for him to come back is to give him the best possible chance to be available in the final, if Egypt reaches the final... his expected return to play is between three to four weeks if everything goes smooth and everything goes right.”
Wataru Endo is on international duty with Japan at the Asian Cup, while Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak and Joel Matip are long-term injury absentees.
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Watch on YouTubeFor Fulham, Adama Traore remains sidelined through injury and three players – Fode Ballo-Toure, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi – are away at AFCON.
Head coach Marco Silva told FFCtv: “[The squad is] the same, the same as the last two games. Adama is still out, he will not be involved in the game, and the three players are at AFCON as well.
“All the others, they are going to be available.”
Last match
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham (January 13): Leno, Tete, Tosin, Diop, Robinson, Palhinha, Cairney, Wilson, Pereira, Willian, Jimenez.
AFC Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool (January 21): Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez, Mac Allister, Jones, Elliott, Diaz, Jota, Nunez.