Liverpool v Norwich predicted XIs: Team news as Jurgen Klopp talks Jota, Salah and Harlem Globe Trotters
Liverpool are looking to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester City when Norwich visit Anfield on Saturday afternoon (15:00 UK time).
Jurgen Klopp’s men, who have an EFL Cup final date with Chelsea at the end of this month, head into matchday 26 sitting nine points leaders Manchester City but with a game in hand. As for Norwich they’re battling to stave off relegation. Dean Smith’s side occupy 18th spot, and find themselves four points adrift of safety, but have played more times than the sides around them.
Last time out the Reds secured a fourth win on the bounce, subsequently extending their unbeaten streak to five games, when they ran out 1-0 winners at Burnley, it was a third time across four games Liverpool had successfully kept a clean sheet. Meanwhile the Canaries saw a three-game unbeaten run come to end when Manchester City steamrolled them at home. On the road, Norwich won their last away game, but prior to a 0-3 success at Watford they had lost three in-a-row.
Liverpool vs Norwich betting tips from Squawka Bet
Liverpool team news vs Norwich:
- Ins: Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane
- Outs: Diogo Jota
- Doubts: Divock Origi
A sour note from Liverpool’s impressive win over Inter Milan in their Champions League round of 16 first-leg meeting was the ankle injury sustained by in-form Portuguese forward Diogo Jota which has ruled him out this weekend.
“He will not be available this weekend but the extent is still not clear,” Jurgen Klopp told reporters ahead of Norwich’s visit.
“We need further assessment. It’s something with some ligaments in and around the ankle, but not the ligament, some others.
“So, pretty much everything is possible in the moment; that it will go really quick and the other way around unfortunately as well. So we have to wait.
“Everybody saw the picture with him in the boot. It’s a normal procedure, even when you just feel something, they put you in that boot. For the weekend, for sure not.”
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Predicted Liverpool XI vs Norwich:
- Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Diaz (4-3-3).
Roberto Firmino is expected to slot into the ‘false nine’ role with Sadio Mane is pushing for a berth on the left flank but has stiff competition from winter signing Luis Díaz which illustrates Liverpool’s squad depth which Klopp agrees is the best he’s experienced in his time at the club.
“It’s all about what do you make of the things you have available. We just have to fight and we’re not thinking about how good we could be, we are not the Harlem Globetrotters. There are a lot of really good football teams and squads that we have to battle with, nobody here is happy with being second. We need each and every one of them and not talking about it,” he said.
“[The squad] is there and it’s great and usually we talk about it when we don’t have enough players or you think we should sign more players but we spoke for two weeks about it and now Diogo is out.
“Let’s stop asking me about it, think about it, write about it, do whatever you want but my opinion is clear: Yes, top squad, best I ever had but it’s so much more important what kind of mood there is in the team and inside the stadium we can create to get results.
“You don’t win a Champions League away game at Inter Milan because you’re good, you win because you want it with all you have and that’s what we did.”
Mohamed Salah meanwhile is chasing a landmark 150th goal.
“I am only seven years here. The club is so much older with so many great players. This team is one of the better ones and Mo has played a big part in that,” Klopp added.
“His number is insane. You say 150, only recently we spoke about 100!”
Norwich team news vs Liverpool:
- Ins: Joshua Sargent and Ozan Kabak
- Outs: Lukas Rupp, Tim Krul, Jakob Sorensen, Adam Idah and Andrew Omobamidele
- Doubts:
Josh Sargent returned to action last time out and is expected to feature at Anfield this weekend. He should be joined in Norwich’s squad by Ozan Kabak but no fewer than five players are missing including goalkeepers Lukas Rupp and Tim Krul.
Predicted Norwich XI vs Liverpool:
- Gunn; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams; Gilmour, Normann, McLean; Sargent, Pukki, Rashica (4-3-3).
Angus Gunn continues between the sticks while Teemu Pukki is seeking to score in back-to-back Anfield visits.
