MX23RW : Sunday, December 15 03:42:39| >> :120:23194:23194:

Alexander-Arnold injury gives Liverpool more problems to deal with

Alexander-Arnold injury gives Liverpool more problems to deal with
© Reuters
Full-back's absence comes at the wrong time.

Liverpool have been dealt another defensive injury blow after Trent Alexander-Arnold was ruled out for a month with a knee problem.

The England international sustained a problem in the warm-up ahead of Saturday's win at Brighton but played the full 90 minutes and Press Association Sport understands he has tweaked ligaments.

With Joe Gomez still working his way back to fitness after a broken foot and right-back Nathaniel Clyne loaned to Bournemouth earlier this month, it leaves manager Jurgen Klopp short of options.

James Milner appears the likely candidate to start at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, although fellow midfielder Fabinho – who played centre-back at the weekend because Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren are not fully fit – could potentially fill in.

Matip was an unusued substitute against Brighton after recovering from a broken collarbone while Gomez has yet to return to full training.

Youngster Rafael Camacho made his first-team debut at right-back in the FA Cup defeat at Wolves and is likely to be on the bench again.

Fellow academy player Ki-Jana Hoever also made his debut at Wolves, the 16-year-old becoming the third-youngest player in the club's history, but is unlikely to be considered.

The Holland youth international has endured the highs and lows of football over the last week as he was sent off in the under-23's Premier League 2 1-1 draw with Brighton a week after making his first-team debut.

At first it appeared the youngster would be booked for a tangle with Aaron Connolly but the intervention of the assistant referee resulted in a red card – something manager Neil Critchley plans to appeal against.

"It was a baffling decision, to say the least," he told liverpoolfc.com.

"The referee had a yellow card in his hand and had given a free-kick outside the box, which it was – a clear foul and a booking.

"The linesman got involved and changed the decision. That changed the whole complexion of the game. Hopefully we can get that overturned."

Desite their injury concerns the Premier League leaders still have the best defensive record and Milner singled out goalkeeper Alisson Becker as his player of the season so far.

While centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, currently favourite for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award, is receiving rave reviews virtually every week, Alisson has caught Milner's eye.

The Brazil international, a £65million summer signing from Roma, has kept 13 clean sheets in 22 appearances, conceding just 10 goals in total.

His maiden campaign has not been without its hiccups – with a blunder against Leicester gifting Rachid Ghazzal a goal and a mistake presenting Manchester United's Jesse Lingard with a simple tap-in – but overall his form has been excellent.

"It's hard to pick out one player because everyone in the squad has done so well, not just the 11 who are starting," Milner told Liverpool's official magazine.

"I think maybe one you could select is Alisson. Coming to a new league is never easy.

"It's a new lifestyle and you are also getting used to the weather and things like that, but he's been unbelievable: from how he is around the place, to how good he is on the pitch with his feet and with the saves he makes.

"Every single player makes mistakes and sometimes as a keeper you maybe feel a bit different because mistakes often result in a goal, but if he makes a mistake it doesn't faze him in the slightest and he remains confident and continues playing as if nothing has happened. That's so important.

"He's been unbelievable for us this season so far and I believe that he'll be a massive, massive player for us going forward."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Carl Markham, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '62d2c2e1-52e7-4016-b31a-1686dac8b0ae');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Alexander-Arnold injury gives Liverpool more problems to deal with'});

ID:346893: cacheID:346893:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6551:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola watches on during the Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 14, 2019
Read Next:
Manchester City determined to keep up pressure in title race – Pep Guardiola
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Chiefs
@
Browns
6pm
Ravens
@
Giants
6pm
Jets
@
Jags
6pm
Cowboys
@
Panthers
6pm
Washington
@
Saints
6pm
Dolphins
@
Texans
6pm
Bengals
@
Titans
9.25pm
Colts
@
Broncos
9.25pm
Patriots
@
Cardinals
9.25pm
Buccaneers
@
Chargers
9.25pm
Steelers
@
Eagles
9.25pm
Bills
@
Lions
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City158342721627
6Aston Villa167452425-125
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Fulham166642422224
10Brentford157263128323
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton153661421-715
16Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!