An update on the fitness of a trio of Liverpool stars has been forthcoming on Monday evening.
Everton vs Liverpool
The first round of Premier League fixtures following the international break is set to be headlined by the Merseyside derby.
Everton will welcome champions Liverpool to Goodison Park, for Saturday’s early kick-off.
And, whilst there is of course always a buzz surrounding the clash, it could be argued that this weekend’s edition of the derby is set to come as the most highly-anticipated in recent memory.
This comes with Everton, for the first time in a long time, looking a genuinely impressive outfit.
With Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, and summer additions James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure firing on all cylinders, the Toffees have enjoyed a wonderful start to the new campaign.
With 7 games played across all competitions, Everton maintain a perfect record, a run which also sees them sitting pretty atop the Premier League table.
Everton’s English striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates after scoring Everton’s first goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on September 13, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)
Liverpool, on the other hand, have endured a somewhat hit and miss start to the defence of their title.
The biggest blip thus far, of course, came two weekends ago, when Jurgen Klopp’s men fell to a staggering 7-2 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.
Reds latest
As such, as Liverpool go in search of a bounce-back result at the expense of their Mersey rivals this weekend, Klopp will no doubt be eager to have as many as of his key performers available for selection as possible.
And, as outlined above, an update on the fitness of a trio of Reds stars has this evening been forthcoming.
The players in question come in the form of Sadio Mane, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita.
All 3 returned positive Covid-19 tests over the last couple of weeks.
In the case of both Mane and Thiago, however, their results came prior to the international break, meaning they have had sufficient time to self isolate, and will be available for selection to face Everton.
For Keita, however, the situation remains less clear:
Sadio Mane and Thiago will play in Merseyside derby after returning to training today, following their Covid-positive period of quarantine.
Naby Keita in isolation as he awaits results of a second test, following an initial positive while on international duty.#LFC
— David Maddock (@MaddockMirror) October 12, 2020
