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Liverpool handed quadruple boost for Man Utd clash that Erik ten Hag will be envious of
Liverpool welcome Man Utd to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday.

By Will Rooney
Published 14th Dec 2023, 03:00 GMT

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during a training session at Axa Training Centre on December 13, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp has been afforded the luxury of leaving out four of his key Liverpool players out of the Europa League clash against Union SG.

With the Reds already securing top spot in Group E and moving into the knockout stage, the encounter in Belgium is a dead-rubber for the visitors. It means that Klopp can rotate his squad as much as he likes. Youngsters including Ben Doak, Conor Bradley, and Kaide Gordon are all in the frame to feature from the outset.

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Only 12 senior players have made the trip to Union. Liverpool have opted to leave captain Virgil van Dijk, vice-skipper Trent Alexander-Arnold, talisman Mo Salah and goalkeeper Alisson Becker on Merseyside. It means the quartet will all get eight days rest ahead of Manchester United’s visit to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday.

Certainly, that is welcome news for Liverpool, who will be without Alexis Mac Allister again because of a nasty cut sustained in the 2-0 win at Sheffield United last week. Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Alisson are all at the nucleus of Klopp’s side and they’ll be able to replenish ahead of the showdown with United. Liverpool are top of the table and 10 points ahead of Erol ten Hag’s outfit, who sit sixth.

To add to the Reds Devils’ troubles, they are sweating on Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw. The defensive duo were forced off in United’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich, which saw them crash out of the Champions League at the group stage. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both missed the defeat because of illness while Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount and Casemiro are already sidelined.

Related topics:Jurgen KloppEuropa LeagueTrent Alexander-ArnoldPremier LeagueManchester United
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OWEN HARGREAVES SAYS ‘SUPER SPECIAL’ LIVERPOOL PLAYER IS BETTER THAN ARSENAL’S DECLAN RICE

Amir Mir
Wed 13 December 2023 18:30, UK
What a champion performer Mohamed Salah is for Liverpool and Declan Rice is for Arsenal.

To think Jurgen Klopp could have lost Mohamed Salah to the ever-growing Saudi Pro League in the summer and Arsenal could have lost out to Manchester City for Declan Rice’s signature.

The two teams probably wouldn’t be sitting first and second in the Premier League table as we speak.

There have been enough Premier League games played this season to evaluate, analyse, praise and critique individuals and teams.

You could argue that Liverpool’s flying forward on the right, Mohamed Salah, has been one of the best players this season.

But Arsenal fans would argue otherwise with Declan Rice. Since his club-record transfer from West Ham United, he hasn’t put a foot wrong.

Saying that, Owen Hargreaves thinks the ‘super special’ Mohamed Salah, who scored his 200th Liverpool goal at the weekend, is the ‘Player of the Season’ so far, ahead of Declan Rice and Erling Haaland, as he told the Kelly and Wrighty Show on Premier League Productions (11/12/23 at 2:45 pm).

Mohamed Salah or Declan Rice?
“He is just a super special player,” said Hargreaves. “The consistency and the elite levels he plays at.

“Firmino has gone. Mane has gone. I think this season, Salah has played the most minutes, and got the most goals and the most assists. The one constant you hear with Liverpool is Mo Salah scoring goals and being an amazing player.

“You could argue that he is probably the Player of the Season, so far. Probably the best player in the Premier League, whether it’s Haaland or Declan Rice. But he is there.

“To be top of the league, 200 goals and 150 in the Premier League. Quite remarkable what he has been able to achieve. The consistency and elite level he plays at, I think is quite remarkable.”

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City title battle… and perhaps Aston Villa
It has been another enthralling week of Premier League action, with Liverpool now leading the way at the top.

Arsenal are closely followed behind, but surprise packages Aston Villa, after beating Mikel Arteta’s side and Manchester City, are now also in the mix.

The current champions, even if they drop down to seventh, will always be in the race because of how well they can finish the season.

But in the middle of this busy festive period, there isn’t any runaway leader and it seems as though that won’t be the case for a while.

MORE: TNT pundit says £20m Arsenal player had a ‘tough night’ v PSV

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Jurgen Klopp leaves four big names at home as Liverpool confirm squad for Union SG game
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Posted by Liam Togher1 hour agoFollow @liamtogher88

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Unsurprisingly, there are several high-profile absentees from the Liverpool squad to face Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League on Thursday.

The club’s official website confirmed the 23-man travelling party which flew out from John Lennon Airport this afternoon, with Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Alisson Becker all left at home to prepare for the Premier League showdown against Manchester United on Sunday.

With the Reds already assured of topping the group, Jurgen Klopp has sensibly given a rest to that quartet, although there are still some prominent senior names included such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.

As expected, a number of under-21 players have travelled to Belgium, with Marcelo Pitaluga, Fabian Mrozek, Tom Hill, Lewis Koumas, Kaide Gordon, Calum Scanlon, James McConnell, Ben Doak, Conor Bradley and Luke Chambers among those hoping for a rare first-team opportunity tomorrow.

READ MORE: Liverpool prepared to loan out ‘excellent’ prodigy in January; he’s a man in demand

READ MORE: Premier League manager admits Klopp caught him cold with one tactic in Liverpool game this season

The Champions League game against Midtjylland in December 2020 – which carried similar circumstances in terms of Liverpool having already won their group – has been mentioned abundantly in the lead-up to Thursday’s clash against Union SG.

Klopp foolishly played an in-form Diogo Jota that night and would live to regret the decision as the Portugal winger suffered a wholly preventable three-month injury layoff, during which the Reds’ season collapsed horribly.

LFC have eight fixtures in total this month, with tomorrow’s game the first of five in 13 days, so to have fielded key players in Salah, Trent, Alisson and Van Dijk for a match where the result is of no consequence would’ve been downright daft and asking for trouble.

Thankfully, it seems as if the Liverpool manager has learned from what happened in Denmark three years ago, and it’ll be a welcome sight to have numerous youngsters in the team against Union SG.

The likes of Doak, Bradley, Chambers and Gordon will all want to make a statement to Klopp by putting their hand up for further inclusion with strong performances in Belgium.

It also looks as if some more established first-team players might feature. If so, fingers crossed they don’t suffer any knocks which’d preclude them from games where there’d be a much greater need for them to be available.

📖 Anfield Annals: John Smith – Liverpool’s Red Knight and Most Successful Chairman

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MORE STORIES ALISSON BECKER EUROPA LEAGUE LIVERPOOL MO SALAH TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD UNION SAINT-GILLOISE VIRGIL VAN DIJK
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DaleDecember 13, 2023 at 4:54 pm
That’s 7 fewer than I was hoping for but it’s a start.

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Union Saint-Gilloise reveal permanent tribute to Liverpool before Europa League clash
Union Saint-Gilloise host Liverpool in this season’s final Europa League group stage match on Thursday

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ByJames QuinlanSport Trends Writer
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Wataru Endo and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool challenge for the ball during the UEFA Europa League match against Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield on October 5, 2023 (Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise have paid tribute to tomorrow night’s Europa League meeting with a specially-made piece of stained glass at their home stadium.

Jurgen Klopp’s men travel to Belgium to round off this leg of the competition, though unfortunately there is little riding on the fixture as they have already qualified for the knockouts as Group E winners.

Meanwhile USG have the opportunity to sneak into the knockout rounds too, requiring a victory against the Reds and Toulouse to lose against LASK in order to do so.

The two teams therefore have very different outlooks on the Thursday meeting, and that can be backed up by a very special tribute the Belgians have produced ahead of kick-off.

READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes cannot hide fear about Man United’s trip to Liverpool

READ MORE: ‘Everyone has figured them out’ – Liverpool proving 26 BBC pundits wrong as predictions backfire

Via their social media channels, USG have shown off a piece of stained glass at their Stade Joseph Marien with the caption: “A new chapter of our history unfolds this Thursday. We already brought the game to our home ground, in its own historical style.”

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Symmetrically depicting players in yellow and red, the art was shown in various locations around their 104-year-old ground, including in front of the full stained glass window depicting the club’s badge in their stadium’s main entrance.

Unfortunately Liverpool will not be visiting the historic 9,400-seater stadium personally as USG made the decision prior to the season’s start that they will host European fixtures at nearby Anderlecht’s Lotto Park, which can house 21,000.

This was because Stade Joseph Marien failed to meet the requirements set out by UEFA in their laws.

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Liverpool could sign a Diaz upgrade in £100m star who’s in the “Salah club”
BY
ANGUS SINCLAIR
PUBLISHED 4 HOURS AGO
Jurgen Klopp could sign a stunning new forward with a move for this PL dynamo.

With the interminable 2022/23 campaign now firmly behind those of a Liverpool persuasion, Jurgen Klopp has succeeded in restoring the feel-good factor on the red half of Merseyside, with his team perched in first place in the Premier League.

Of course, the current term has only passed its 16th matchweek and there is so much more action still to come, with the busy festive period still lying ahead for the Reds.

But after finishing fifth last year Klopp’s side can take great comfort in the fact that they are a major player once more, and while Champions League football sits out of reach until next season, there is plenty at stake, not least the Premier League title.

With the summer transfer activity succeeding in repairing the defective engine room, Liverpool are now primed to invest in different areas of the field, and while the defence appears to require the greatest attention, rumours persist over forward-thinking players.

Liverpool transfer news – Jarrod Bowen
In the summer, Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad were seemingly not contented with raiding Anfield for Fabinho and launched a stunning £150m raid for Mohamed Salah, and while Liverpool were disinterested in entertaining the advance, plans had reportedly been drawn up to sign West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen as a replacement.

Despite penning a fresh deal at the London Stadium back in October, Bowen remains on Liverpool’s radar and, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones has revealed what he believes it might take to prise him away.

He said: “If you consider that they’ve lost Declan Rice, who was their most valuable player, for over £100m, then if anyone was to come asking for Jarrod Bowen, they’re going to say ‘Well, we want the same as what we’ve got for Declan Rice then’ because if anything, Jarrod Bowen is even more important to them because, at times, he is the only player who is weighing in reliably with goals.”

While it’s unrealistic for the Hammers to issue genuine demands stretching toward the £105m fee that Arsenal paid for Declan Rice – who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders across Europe – it does underpin Bowen’s importance to his team. Frankly, this would not be a seamless transaction…

Jarrod Bowen’s season in numbers
Bowen signed for West Ham from Hull City in a deal worth at least £20m in January 2020, with it no coincidence that the club’s illustrious rise over recent years runs parallel with Bowen’s own ascent.

Having now chalked up 50 goals and 34 assists across 177 appearances, notably scoring the winner as the Hammers beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in June, he has been the attacking lynchpin and deservedly arrested the attention of juggernauts such as Liverpool.

This season, he’s been in devastatingly prolific form, already posting ten goals and three assists from 19 appearances across all competitions, with his rich vein of goalscoring brilliance leading talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino to remark that he is in the “Salah club”, such is the technique of his striking power.

As per Sofascore, nine of such goals have come from 15 matches in the English top-flight, with the England international complementing his shooting success with 3.9 ball recoveries and 1.3 tackles per game, highlighting his application across the pitch.

As per FBref, the £120k-per-week machine also ranks among the top 15% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 18% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 2% for blocks per 90.

Quick and direct, Bowen would be able to provide a similar role to that of Salah – though, not at the same celestial standard – but he could establish himself as the club’s next-best wideman, perhaps even surpassing Luis Diaz.

How Jarrod Bowen compares to Luis Diaz
Diaz has been excellent since signing for Liverpool from Porto for an initial fee of £37m in January 2022, plundering 16 goals and nine assists from 66 performances.

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Liverpool could replace Diaz with move for “world-class” £87m star
But the Colombian returned from a damaging injury at the end of last season, since proving to be a constant threat on the left flank of Klopp’s side, though he hasn’t replicated the same success that saw him score four goals and provide three assists from his first 11 Premier League starts.

This season, the £55k-per-week ace is only creating 0.9 key passes and averaging 2.9 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League, having scored three times and created one big chance from 15 appearances.

This is a stark decline from his initial foray into the English top flight, where his rate of dribbling (2.4) has not almost halved to 1.3 this term.

Further, he was creating 1.5 key passes per game during 2021/22 and had completed 88% of his passes; this term, he still completes a respectable 80% of his balls but has evidently lost a bit of his snap and crispness.

While a tactical tweak in Klopp’s system is likely part of the reason that he has seen his game shift somewhat, there is still no hiding from the fact that he is being outperformed by the likes of Bowen, who would be an amazing acquisition to bolster Liverpool’s chances.

Luis Diaz: Key Characteristics

Strengths

Weaknesses

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*Sourced via WhoScored

Diaz is very good, and that fact mustn’t be forgotten, with the 26-year-old currently ranking among the top 20% of positional peers for goals, the top 9% for pass completion and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90.

But there’s no disputing that Bowen is blossoming into a truly remarkable goalscoring presence for West Ham, and this is something that he could surely emulate at Anfield, using his versatility to impress across numerous roles.

Diaz, indeed, has only scored five times this season and has yet to assist a teammate in the Premier League, and while there is every belief that he will continue to impress and make incremental gains to his numbers over the coming months, Bowen would be an upgrade.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angus Sinclair • Opinions & Feature Writer
(1741 Articles Published)
Angus is a freelance analytical writer for Football FanCast.

Having graduated from Southampton Solent University with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2022, Angus found a home at FFC after previously writing for Vavel and OurSoundMusic.

A passionate Liverpool supporter and a lover of statistics, Angus also holds a fondness for MMA and Tennis.

Outside of football, he is a voracious reader with a particular love for fantasy and historical fiction.

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‘Disturbs me’… Jaap Stam says Liverpool fans have got something totally wrong about IstanbulPhoto credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images
‘Disturbs me’… Jaap Stam says Liverpool fans have got something totally wrong about Istanbul
Wed 13 December 2023 09:30
James Brooke
Former AC Milan defender Jaap Stam has opened up on the 2005 Champions League final loss to Liverpool.

The final in Istanbul is perhaps the greatest Europe’s premier club competition has ever seen. With the Reds 3-0 down at half-time to a super Milan team, things looked done and dusted. But led by Steven Gerrard, Liverpool famously roared back.

The comeback was made all the more impressive given the gap in quality between the squads of the two teams. But asked on the Stick To Football podcast whether Milan underestimated the Reds, Stam – who played at centre-back for Milan that day – refuted the suggestion.

“When you played in a Champions League final you would normally expect probably stronger opposition in some ways, we had only finished fifth in the Premier League. You must have been supremely confident,” asked Jamie Carragher, who was in the Liverpool XI.

“I think that’s a bit how Liverpool fans approach the story from your point of view,” replied the 51-year-old. “In terms of maybe we think Liverpool is a weaker side or a have weaker players. That is not how we approached it. We approached that game very professionally, as you might think, with all the players in that team, all the ability in that team, all them know exactly what can happen in football.

“So if you are a young player and you are looking at team sheets, then you can think okay we are going to beat them. But an experienced player who had been playing so many years at the top level is not going to think going into a game and underestimate the opposition. So, our meeting with our manager, Carlo Ancelotti, we never did that.”

Stam makes Istanbul claim
Over the years, the final in Istanbul has of course passed into legend. One of the stories of that day is how the Milan players believed their job to be done with the score-line at 3-0.

Gerrard famously took issue with what he saw as disrespect from midfielder Gennaro Gattuso in particular heading into the dressing rooms at half-time.

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However, although this is an accepted version of events from a Liverpool perspective, Stam has strongly refuted that anything of the sort happened.

“Even during, there has been talks I have heard and it really disturbs me, half-time people are saying we were already celebrating and stuff like that,” says the Dutchman. “Can you imagine players of this level going into a dressing room? Okay you’re 3-0 up but thinking we’re going to celebrate. It’s done.”

Jaap Stam
Time has a funny way of changing things in our minds. All of Gerrard, Carragher and Stam were there on May 25th 2005 and all of them will have seen similar things. But, funnily, they all seem to remember it differently.

In fairness to Stam, all of what he is saying makes total sense. Part of the reason why Liverpool felt they had little chance was because of the experience in the Rossoneri’s team. Players like Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo, Andriy Shevchenko and Stam himself had been there and seen it all. Why would they think the game was won?

But such occasions can also sometimes get the best of you. Gerrard was adamant that celebrations were heard from the Milan dressing room. That same group of players let a 3-0 lead slip. Something must have happened to them at half-time.

Whatever Stam says, it will never change the truth of the matter, anyway. This will always remain one of the greatest days in the history of Liverpool FC. And it will always sting for Milan.

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‘Have a look at this’ – Howard Webb explains error in decision against Liverpool as VAR audio released
Liverpool came from behind to beat Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon

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ByTom CavillaFootball Trends Writer
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PGMOL chief Howard Webb and Michael Owen
PGMOL chief Howard Webb and Michael Owen

Howard Webb believes the right decision was made to award Crystal Palace a penalty against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, though has admitted the match officials should have stopped the game far sooner.

The home side were given a spot-kick during the second half after VAR reviewed footage of a Jarell Quansah foul on Jean-Philippe Mateta inside the penalty area. This was reviewed as the match carried on following the incident, before play was eventually paused one minute and 45 seconds after the initial incident for referee Andy Madley to review the footage.

A check of the pitchside monitor from Madley followed and the eventual decision that followed was a penalty for Palace. PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) chief Webb agreed with this call, but conceded there should not have been a near two-minute delay for action to be taken.

Offering his view on the situation in the latest edition of ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’, he said: “I think that’s a very clear penalty-kick situation. It was not seen by the on-field referee in real time, and the VAR’s there to check for that significant contact by Quansah into the back of Mateta, who’s the only one to touch the ball.

READ MORE: I just got a glimpse of what Jurgen Klopp wished for – Manchester United won’t know what’s hit them

READ MORE: Premier League teams vote for major change to transfer rules after Chelsea exploit loophole

“Play continues, of course, because the referee waves away the penalty appeal. As the game’s continuing, the VAR is checking the angles available to see if there is that clear and obvious error, and recognises that there is one. You then hear him say to the referee, ‘I’m checking the APP [attacking phase of play].’ At that point, he’s already formed the opinion that he’s going to be sending the referee to the screen. But he needs to check the phase of play before the penalty to make sure that there’s no offside in the build-up, which would negate the award of the penalty, or another offence by the attacking team.

“I think a better way to do this would be to stop the game at that moment, as soon as the VARs recognise that a review is going to be needed for the penalty,” stressed Webb. “That stops anything else happening in the game, it gets us away from this feeling that it’s taking a long time to check this. And I think, going forward, that’s what we’d rather see – the game being stopped as soon as VAR recommends… or identifies a review is needed to be recommended. And then we send the referee to the screen while the APP’s being checked in that moment. It would make the process a bit more efficient.

“It’s described as significant contact in the calf by Quansah; it’s impactful. Mateta plays the ball, and yeah, a clear penalty, a clear and obvious error not to give the penalty. Sometimes, we’ll see contact less than that, that’s less impactful – it’s a bit of a sliding scale, but at some point, it’s going to be an offence, and this is certainly, in my opinion, one of those.”

Audio between the match officials regarding the penalty incident:

VAR: Possible penalty.

Ref: Don’t see anything there, I don’t see anything.

VAR: Just checking possible penalty.

Ref: Thanks mate.

VAR: The ball is played by the attacker, then the question is whether the extent of that contact sends him to ground, because I think he is kicked.

VAR: Have you got another angle?

RO (Replay Operator): Just looking for you now. This is probably going to be the best one, from this side.

VAR: You’ve got no other angle?

RO: I’ve got a slightly wider one I could show you at full speed, maybe?

VAR: Ok. Just go back to GDS. Just have a look at this. The attacker plays the ball. It’s that contact that kicks that right leg.

AVAR (Assistant VAR): Yeah.

VAR: What are you seeing?

AVAR: Yeah, exactly the same as that.

VAR: So I’m seeing the attacker play the ball and a significant kick to the calf, which sends him to ground.

AVAR: Yeah.

VAR: Do you agree?

AVAR: Yeah, I agree. He trips him. I mean, whether that then makes him go to ground but, agree.

VAR: Mads [Madley], stop the game, stop the game, stop the game. I’m going to recommend an on-field review for a potential penalty.

Ref: So I’m awarding a penalty and no further discipline, yeah? Happy with that?

VAR. Confirmed, confirmed.

Ref: Yeah, thank you. OK.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – Saturday, September 30, 2023: Liverpool’s Andy Robertson during the FA Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
This Is Anfield • Liverpool FC News •
Liverpool get Andy Robertson fitness boost with expected return set
December 11, 2023
Jack Lusby
Andy Robertson is expected to make his return from a long-term shoulder injury in the New Year, with the Liverpool left-back making “daily progress” in recovery.

Robertson has been sidelined since mid-October after dislocating his shoulder in Scotland’s 2-0 loss to Spain, with his injury requiring surgery.

The 29-year-old has so far missed 12 games as he undergoes his rehabilitation, with Kostas Tsimikas stepping up in his absence along with Joe Gomez and Luke Chambers.

While he is due to miss the remainder of the year and therefore at least five more fixtures, Robertson is on course to make his comeback in January.

The Mail‘s Lewis Steele reports that the Scotland captain is “on schedule” to return next month, having already resumed running outdoors at the AXA Training Centre.

Robertson is said to be making “daily progress,” with his recovery work “split between treatment and strength work on the injured shoulder.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Wednesday, September 20, 2023: Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson (L) during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Europa League Group E match between LASK and Liverpool FC. (Pic by Andrew Yeats/Propaganda)
Unsurprisingly, he is “not yet involved in contact training,” with any resumption of full training dependent on the strength of his repaired shoulder.

While a vague date of “next month” is reported, it may be safe to assume that Robertson will not be risked until after the winter break.

Liverpool play five more times in December and then have clashes with Newcastle in the Premier League on New Year’s Day and Arsenal in the FA Cup on January 7.

As it stands, there would then be two weeks before the trip to Bournemouth on January 21, which would allow Robertson longer to get up to speed.

That could be added to by progress in the Carabao Cup, though, with a potential semi-final set for the week commencing January 8.

Either way, unless there is a setback for Tsimikas or even Gomez or Chambers, Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to rely upon Robertson to start until he is fully fit.

Klopp already received a major injury boost last week when Alisson returned to full training and then made two crucial stops to help ensure Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

Alexis Mac Allister missed that clash with a knee problem but is not likely to be out for long, while Diogo Jota is stepping up his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Joel Matip will miss the remainder of the season after surgery on his ACL, and caution is being taken with both Thiago (hip) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf).

Andy Robertson, Injuries
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Man Utd ‘put five players up for sale’ as ruthless Erik ten Hag starts clearing the deck
Man Utd have reportedly put five players up for sale ahead of the January window.
By SAM SMITH
10:25, Mon, Dec 11, 2023 | UPDATED: 11:53, Mon, Dec 11, 2023
7

Erik ten Hag is reportedly planning another clear-out of his Man Utd squad (Image: Getty)
Manchester United will reportedly listen to offers for five stars in the January transfer window as Erik ten Hag plans another major cull of his first-team squad. Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek have all been made available for a permanent transfer, it has been claimed.

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United are reportedly wary that Financial Fair Play regulations mean they will need to offload players before they make any major additions to Ten Hag’s squad. However, it is reported that no player will be forced out of the club against their wishes.

Ten Hag will also not sanction any departures that weaken the squad. That could mean replacements will be eyed for anyone who leaves in January, despite the United boss downplaying the prospect of signings ahead of the winter market.

Offers for a quintet of stars will all be listened to ahead of the window, which will mark Ten Hag’s fourth as head coach at Old Trafford. A mass exodus is supposedly not expected, but players could depart if good proposals are made by interested clubs.

According to MEN, Varane, Casemiro, Martial, Sancho and Van de Beek could all be moved on. All five have struggled to work their way into Ten Hag’s plans of late for differing reasons.

READ MORE: Anthony Martial ‘to leave Man Utd’ as club bosses take steps to axe striker [LATEST]

Man Utd duo Casemiro and Raphael Varane will reportedly be allowed to leave in the January window (Image: Getty)

Varane has started just one of the last 13 matches. The reason for his omission from the starting 11 for October’s Manchester derby was described by Ten Hag as “tactical” but the Frenchman has played in just 12 Premier League minutes in the interim. Harry Maguire has taken Varane’s place and won the league’s Player of the Month award for November.

Team-mate Casemiro was signed by Ten Hag for £60m in the summer of 2022 and was initially a revelation at Old Trafford. A midfield lynchpin in last season’s League Cup triumph and successful quest for Champions League qualification, the Brazilian has since struggled with form and injuries.

Casemiro is absent until late December with a hamstring issue but his concerning dip in form will reportedly see United make the former Real Madrid star available in January. So too will bids for forward Martial, whose substitution during Saturday’s dismal 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth was sarcastically cheered by portions of Old Trafford.

Martial has a contract that expires in the summer. United will reportedly not trigger an extension clause in the 28-year-old’s deal, and he will leave for free if there is no buyer in January.

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Jadon Sancho’s Man Utd career could reportedly come to an abrupt end in January (Image: Getty)
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Fellow attacker Sancho could also be sold having been exiled from the first-team since early September after a bitter falling-out with Ten Hag. The United boss insisted that the door is open for Sancho to return should he apologise, but that outcome now seems unlikely.

Meanwhile, midfielder Van de Beek will be allowed to move on from his torrid spell at United. A £34m purchase from Ten Hag’s Ajax in 2021, the Netherlands international has failed to win a place in Ten Hag’s United team since his countryman’s appointment a year later.

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