Liverpool trained at Melwood yesterday in preparation for a Football League Cup fixture against Derby County.
I’m fairly sure I say this each time I share the training pictures, but don’t the lads always look like they’re enjoying themselves? I don’t mean to say it as if it’s a bad thing but do they get any training done amidst all the laughter?
What I find particularly pleasing is that Mamadou Sakho is training yet again and looks happy. That can only mean good things. It just goes to show that all the media hype suggesting that Klopp was ready to cut him off was far from the truth.
It would be great to see Sakho be given some game time tomorrow night just to confirm that he still has a place at the club. It could be, that after missing pre-season with an Achilles tendon injury, Klopp is slowly working him towards full fitness. Much in the way he did with Daniel Sturridge last season.
Speaking of Sturridge, he, Firmino, Lallana and Wijnaldum weren’t present at training. While it is always a worrying thought for Sturridge not to be training, it may be that Klopp has given the foursome an extra day’s rest to prepare for the weekend’s Premier League fixture against Hull City.
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Firmino didn’t feature at Stamford Bridge due to a slight groin injury and Wijnaldum was withdrawn late on due to cramp. Sturridge was also substituted against Chelsea but it wasn’t due to injury as Klopp confirmed in his post-match presser. Divock Origi replaced the Englishman in order to provide the intensity he couldn’t.
Derby County will be a great opportunity for Liverpool to extend their unbeaten streak in all competitions to five games and their win streak to three. Whether or not Klopp will go with a full strength team is questionable but as he did so against Burton Albion it’s likely he’ll do so again.
You can find Rousing the Kop’s team prediction here tomorrow.