Nat Phillips will start in central defence for Liverpool alongside Virgil van Dijk for the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.
The 25-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Bournemouth, having made only three appearances in all competitions.
However, with knocks to other Reds defenders, Phillips is back for his first top flight appearance since 2020/21, when Jurgen Klopp’s squad was rocked by hefty injuries throughout the campaign.
Liverpool’s bench includes a number of youngsters, including Sepp van den Berg, Stefan Bajcetic and 17-year-old Bobby Clarke. Joe Gomez is included as a senior defensive option but is carrying a knock.
Naby Keita and Kostas Tsimikas return to the squad, but Roberto Firmino is not included as a precaution.
Liverpool starting X: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Milner, Elliott; Diaz, Salah, Nunez.
Substitutes: Adrian, Gomez, Keita, Tsimikas, Henderson, Carvalho, Clark, Bajcetic, Van den Berg.
Joel Matip
Matip withdrew from Liverpool training on Friday, mainly as a precautionary measure having complained of a groin issue.
However, he has not regained his fitness in time and may target their next game against Manchester United for a potential comeback.
Ibrahima Konate
Konate has been absent since picking up a knee injury in the pre-season friendly with Strasbourg. He’s not expected to return this month, with September more likely.
Leave a Reply