Jurgen Klopp sympathizes with Eddie Howe’s current struggles, but the Liverpool manager himself is missing some big players. Alexis McAllister is expected to return to the squad on matchday but is likely to come off the bench after missing six games since the defeat to Sheffield United in mid-December. However, Diogo Jota made a rich comeback with a goal against Burnley and will be a strong contender for a starting place. Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic are ruled out, but Wataru Endo will arrive in time for McAllister’s return with the road to the Asian Cup.
The same goes for Jota, who returned ahead of Mohamed Salah’s AFCON final. Endo and Salah are likely to miss Liverpool’s eight games due to international commitments and are set to join Japan and Egypt respectively after Newcastle. Klopp was somewhat right about Newcastle’s injuries, but some of the players joining the team as the battle continues are the €87m (£68m/€78m) duo of Lewis Hall and Tino Libramento. Brazilian Joelinton is expected to start here, while second-choice goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is also a good back-up option, having made over 100 appearances for Newcastle. Newcastle have underperformed in the Champions League but Howe still has some quality. Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Caoimhin Kelleher, Adrian. Korgaushaila: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Arsenal’s collapse is progressing according to plan, with Liverpool guaranteed top spot in the Premier League on the first day of 2024. But as Manchester City bounce back, a win that means Liverpool need a win against injury-hit Newcastle United remains crucial on New Year.
Despite this, the Magpies have been in terrible form for most of the season, losing eight of their 19 Premier League games.
