BREAKING NEWS: Full Liverpool squad to face Newcastle United as two ruled out and another a doubt Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo is in line to make his first Reds start but Jurgen Klopp will be sweating over the fitness of Ibrahima Konate

Liverpool are facing yet another tough away test when they visit Newcastle United on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are looking to pick up their second successive win but the Magpies pose difficult opposition – as they look to continue their impressive home form under Eddie Howe. Unlike the Reds, Newcastle have Champions League football wedged in their calendar but for Liverpool, they will be wanting to spoil the party at St James’ Park to reaffirm their ambitions.

 

Liverpool got their campaign underway away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. With four points from their first two and with the arrival of Wataru Endo – who made a second-half cameo in the win over AFC Bournemouth – a win for the Reds would provide a massive confidence boost going into the final game before the international break.

Much of the conversation has been centred around the formation that Klopp has implemented with Trent Alexander-Arnold continuing at times in the hybrid role.

Added to that, it remains to be seen whether Ibrahima Konate will be play a part in Liverpool’s trip to the North East. Klopp admitted that the Frenchman suffered a muscle injury following last weekend’s win, and is a doubt.

 

“Ibou is a doubt,” said the Reds boss. “Playing 40 minutes with 10 men didn’t help. He has a muscle (injury).

“In this room it’s always ‘we could do this, we could do that’. Maybe one day you will sit a day in my chair and have to deal with all the other stuff as well.

“In an ideal world we would have six, seven, eight centre-halves and are covered for absolutely everything, now we need to be lucky with injuries, there’s no doubt about it. I have no doubt about the quality of the boys we have.

“(Jarell) Quansah is a super talented player here as well. In this moment we are covered. It’s not dreamland where you can be prepared for every situation – we had to learn that in the past a couple of times.

“We will try to do our absolute best to have a squad in the next week where we can react to pretty much everything. Is that possible? We will see.”

 

Stefan Bajcetic was a surprise inclusion in the squad at Anfield last time out. However, Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara will not be fit for the clash with Eddie Howe’s side, according to Klopp. Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold avoided any lasting damage despite limping off in the win over Bournemouth.

Here is the expected full squad and absentee details:

Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Caoimhin Kelleher, Adrian.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas, Andy Robertson, Jarell Quansah.

Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Bobby Clark, Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo.