Liverpool will be missing three players for their trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday night, but their opposition could be without several for the Premier League clash.
Arne Slot will be unable to call on Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez or Tyler Morton at Villa Park with the trio all in the treatment room.
As for Unai Emery’s side, who have won only one of their last five league games, they could be missing up to seven players for the visit of the league leaders.
Central midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who has also been used at centre-back, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, but he is not their only absentee.
Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley and Pau Torres are all battling longer-term issues and are not expected to come back into contention, unlike Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash and Leon Bailey.
The latter trio all missed Villa’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich over the weekend but on the eve of Liverpool’s visit, Emery said they were all “close” to a return, though remained coy on their chances.
“Bailey is close to being with us again, but he is a doubt for tomorrow,” Emery told reporters, via Birmingham Live.
“Cash is close to being with us, Konsa is close to being with us. Until tomorrow I am not going to decide whether they are with us or not.”
• READ: Gakpo injury update – Good and bad news for Liverpool forward
Villa’s injury list includes four defensive options, which is likely to leave Tyrone Mings and Axel Disasi as their centre-back pairing against the Reds.
Andres Garcia has been deputising at right-back during Cash’s three-game absence and will be expected to remain there, while ex-Everton man Lucas Digne will start at left-back.
Liverpool’s visit to Villa Park comes earlier than expected due to the club’s involvement in the Carabao Cup final on March 16 and comes amid a hectic schedule for both teams.
In his programme notes prior to his side’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich over the weekend, Emery vented some of his frustrations.
He penned: “When we thought we earned the right on the pitch to have two weeks with no midweek games (by skipping the Champions League play-off round), suddenly and with short notice the authorities advanced the Liverpool match. A match that could be perfectly pushed back in the season.
“Surely, we’re not the only ones to feel this unfair schedule and we’re also aware that to fit in the matches with the extremely crowded international schedule isn’t easy, but common sense says that it can be much more balanced and rational.”
This fixture means both Liverpool and Villa will have played four matches in 10 days.
Predicted Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Garcia, Disasi, Mings, Digne; Tielemans, McGinn; Rogers, Ramsey, Rashford; Watkins
