Liverpool provisional team news vs Brighton: Jurgen Klopp to spring a Jordan Henderson surprise

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson could return after a thigh injury sustained on international duty.
Jordan Henderson has been back in training for Liverpool this weekJordan Henderson has been back in training for Liverpool this week
Jordan Henderson has been back in training for Liverpool this week

The midfielder partially trained on Thursday for the first time and has a chance of being included.

Jurgen Klopp will still be without midfielders Naby Keita (hamstring), Thiago Alcantara (knee), Xherdan Shaqiri (muscle), defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold (calf), Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez (both knee) but will restore his first-choice line-up after resting five players for the Champions League defeat to Atalanta.

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"Hendo trained yesterday in parts of the team training and his own individual session so we have to see what we do with that," said Klopp. "All the other players that played are in recovery.

"That's how it is when you have so few days in between. So we have to make late decisions. If you asked me my line up, I couldn't tell you. I have to wait for medical department to tell me who looks like being ready."

The Reds head to Brighton for a Saturday 12.30 kick-off after a midweek Champions League match – one of his pet hates – and have been given a similar Wednesday-Saturday turnaround next month when they play Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

However, having regularly spoken about his objections to it, Klopp was in no mood to talk about the subject with limited time to prepare ahead of the Seagulls match.

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“I’ve got 25 hours now to prepare for a game. Whatever I say doesn’t help so I’ll stop talking about it. It changes nothing. It’s just a waste of time,” he said.

“My thoughts are clear but this isn’t the time for me to speak about it. The last thing I want is to create a headline but you say I’ve given up.

“I speak in a general way. A general problem. Wednesday/Saturday 12.30, you have to ask other people why they do that. I don’t have the answer.”

Brighton will be without the suspended Tariq Lamptey for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at the Amex Stadium following the defender’s red card at Aston Villa last weekend.

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Ex-Reds midfielder Adam Lallana is being assessed, Solly March is expected to be available despite a slight ankle issue and the fit-again Leandro Trossard could make his return to the matchday squad.

Davy Propper and Alexis Mac Allister have both been missing due to illness. Propper is ready to return, but it is thought the game will come too soon for Mac Allister.

"Davy has recovered from his illness so he's been training and is available for the squad," said Potter. "Alexis has been back training but still probably needs a little bit more time, so we'll see how he is as the days go by.

"It will probably come a bit too soon for him."

Brighton provisional squad: Ryan, Steele, White, Webster, Dunk, Bernardo, Burn, Veltman, Bissouma, Trossard, Gross, Lallana, Jahanbakhsh, Alzate, March, Propper, Molumby, Connolly, Maupay, Welbeck.

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Liverpool provisional squad: Alisson, Milner, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Jota, Mane, Adrian, N Williams, R Williams, Phillips, Tsimikas, Jones, Clarkson, Minamino, Origi.