Liverpool v Leicester: Latest injury updates for Schmeichel, Mane and more
Liverpool plays host to Leicester City at the grand reopening of Anfield on Saturday and injuries are already making things interesting in the first teams.
Although it is only the start of the second month of the new 2016-17 campaign, both Liverpool and Leicester have several injury concerns that will see their first team shuffle once more.
Liverpool’s best news is that Saido Mane is certain to be the in the starting eleven as his early season shoulder injury looks to be well behind him and he will be looking to make a major impact on his Anfield debut.
On the opposite side of that coin, first choice Leicester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel is recovering from a hernia operation that he underwent during the international break.
Despite being listed as doubtful and a possibility, this early in the season is more likely to see Claudio Ranieri play it safe and see summer signing Ron-Robert Zieler make his debut.
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Liverpool also could see a goalkeeping debut as Loris Karius is back to full training and has had a full two weeks to get ready for this match during the international break while Simon Mignolet has been away.
Both sides will be missing their midfield enforcers as Liverpool continues to be frustrated with Emre Can’s battles with injuries.
Summer singing Nempalys Mendy for Leicester has only seen the pitch for less than a full 90 minutes during his debut before picking up an injury which is yet to see him return to the first team.
Ragnar Klavan is sidelined for Liverpool but Joel Matip will maintain his first team place and should see the side unaffected.
Meanwhile both Phillip Coutinho and Lucas Leiva doubtful with the former only having returned from international duty late Friday.
Lastly the Foxes will also be without last season’s equalizer, Jeffrey Schlupp, as the pacey wide player is out with a muscle strain.
All in all both sides are already feeling the injury plague that can be brought on by the physicality of the Premier League and some of the forced changes to the first teams could see some new points of attack for both sides.