There were no surprise absences when Liverpool trained on the eve of their clash with Ajax, but Jurgen Klopp called up five youngsters from the academy ranks.
The Reds are currently short on nine players due to injuries as they prepare for what is expected to be the last game of September, with Ajax traveling to Anfield on Tuesday.
With Sunday’s trip to Chelsea postponed, a 17-day break, which includes international duty for many players, will hopefully ease the situation fitness-wise.
Monday brought news that Andy Robertson is now sidelined with a knee injury, with Klopp confirming he would be absent until after the international break.
He joins Caoimhin Kelleher, Calvin Ramsay, Ibrahima Konate, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones and Kaide Gordon on the treatment table.
A 24-man team was photographed at the AXA Training Center on Monday night, including youngsters Stefan Bajcetic, Isaac Mabaya and Luke Chambers.
The trio could make it to the bench at Anfield, with Bajcetic forced to replace the four unavailable midfielders, while Mabaya and Chambers could cover for Ramsay and Robertson, respectively.
Goalkeepers Fabian Mrozek and Marcelo Pitaluga, Macclesfield’s last loanee, also joined the group, working alongside Alisson and Adrian.
Klopp was able to welcome back Fabio Carvalho, who missed the 4-1 thrashing at Napoli due to a dead match, with the Portuguese engaging in a lively session on a gloomy day in Kirkby.
The manager could call Carvalho into his starting lineup for the clash with Ajax, although a midfield trio of Fabinho, Thiago and Harvey Elliott are more likely.
Kostas Tsimikas is a guaranteed starter at left-back, while Joel Matip’s presence at the pre-match press conference suggests he will replace Joe Gomez at centre-back.
Roberto Firmino led the line between Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz last Wednesday, but there is a chance Klopp could turn to Darwin Nunez or Diogo Jota at Anfield.
However, the main focus will be on defense, as the coach told reporters.
“Everything we’ve done since I’ve been here and everything my teams do in football is based on really solid, if not almost perfect, defense,” Klopp said.
“That’s where it all starts and that’s where we had to work. That’s what we did.”
The Liverpool squad in training on Monday
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Adrian, Pitaluga, Mrozek
Defenders: Van Dijk, Matip, Gomez, Phillips, Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas, Mabaya, Chambers
Midfielders: Thiago, Fabinho, Elliott, Milner, Carvalho, Arthur, Bajcetic
Forwards: Salah, Diaz, Firmino, Jota, Nunez
