Liverpool v Watford: Team news

MatchLiverpool v Watford: Team news

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By Chris Shaw

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Jürgen Klopp has multiple selection decisions to consider for Liverpool's Premier League clash with Watford on Saturday.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in full training with the Reds following the hamstring injury that ruled him out of action before and during the international break.

The right-back has a chance of featuring in the lunchtime kick-off at Anfield, with the manager set to make a judgement on his readiness.

“It will be tight for tomorrow but it’s possible after all I hear,” Klopp explained during Friday’s pre-match press conference.

“It’s different if you are part of team training, it depends what you could do before and he was really with our rehab and fitness department, it was really intense what he did before he trained with us.

“So physically, he should be fine, now I have to make the decision about rhythm and these kinds of things.”

Inside Training: Thursday's pre-Watford session

Naby Keita was also sidelined for his country, Guinea, during the pause in club football and is a doubt for the clash with the Hornets having missed training on Thursday.

“Yesterday Naby couldn’t train, felt a little bit here and there,” said the boss. “I don’t know exactly yet, nobody called me yet about Naby for today. So we will see how he is for today. Apart from that, we had them pretty much all available.”

Andy Robertson is available again following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and Klopp detailed how international players’ exertions will be a factor when choosing his XI this weekend.

“He is fine. Fresh? I don’t know,” he said when asked about Robertson.

“Hendo didn’t play the second game, he is probably fresh. The Brazilians played, Mo and Sadio played 120 [minutes], Luis played both games, Diogo played both games – not full but nearly. They are fresh enough. It’s not a problem.

“This time of year when they play [international fixtures on] Tuesday and we play Saturday, that’s obviously fine, but they travel and some of them arrived [back at the club] yesterday.

“So, we will really have to see what we do with it. But it’s not the first time we have to deal with these things.”

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Watford boss Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, expects to be able to pick from ‘pretty much a full complement’, including Ismaila Sarr following his efforts with Senegal on international duty.

Nicolas Nkoulou has been declared available for selection again having returned to full training after a long-term hamstring injury.

“There’s young Kwadwo Baah, who is still recovering from an ankle injury but he should return to training next week,” said Hodgson at his pre-match press conference.

“And we do have one or two players suffering from a slight bout of sickness that we’ve had going around which affects their tonsils. So we’ve had one or two missing from training this week but again I think probably they’ll all be available [on Friday].”

On Sarr’s likelihood of featuring at Anfield having played every minute of Senegal’s World Cup qualifying double-header against Egypt, he added: “His chances of being involved are OK, as far as I’ve seen [on Thursday], he’s been recovering.

“But as long as [on Friday] he convinces us that he’s recovered from the efforts, it was 120 minutes as well [on Tuesday] and he played both games. So it’s been a hard journey for him to play for Senegal this time, but a very successful one. So that’s buoyed his spirits, I’m sure.

“I’m pretty certain he’s going to be putting his hand up and asking to be put into the starting line-up.”

Last match

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (March 20): Alisson, Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Fabinho, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Elliott, Jota, Firmino.

Southampton 1-2 Watford (March 13): Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara, Sissoko, Louza, Kucka, Hernandez, Joao Pedro, Dennis.

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