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Liverpool will be aiming to get back to winning ways as it faces a struggling Crystal Palace side, with nine players potentially missing from both sides.
The Reds will be hoping to put a disappointing week behind them after suffering defeats to Arsenal and Fenerbahce over the last seven days. Andoni Iraola’s side has shown some encouraging signs this season, but the Spaniard will not want to go into the international break off the back of another negative result.
Having made five changes in the Champions League in midweek, Iraola will almost certainly make more today as he restores some of the more regular names to his line-up.
The Liverpool boss has indicated there are no new injury concerns following that game, but there are still major doubts over the fitness of Ryan Gravenberch.
The midfielder has missed the last two games, having been left on the bench against Arsenal before being left back on Merseyside for the trip to Istanbul. He is carrying a heel problem, with Iraola having previously revealed it is a fracture.
Gravenberch has already been left out of the Netherlands’ squad for this month’s international break, which would perhaps indicate that he will not be fit to play at Selhurst Park, although Iraola didn’t rule it out when he spoke on Friday.
“The Ryan Gravenberch thing is a day-to-day thing, it’s a matter of pain,” Iraola told reporters. “Let’s see if he can deal with the pain and he can help us.”
While Gravenberch may still have a slim chance of featuring, Liverpool will definitely be without four other players. Jeremie Frimpong remains out, although it is hoped he will be able to return following the international break.
Long-term absentees Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike are still recovering, but should hopefully make their comebacks before the end of the year.
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As for today’s hosts, Palace will be without injured trio Chadi Riad, Ismaila Sarr and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Liverpool may well have mixed feelings about Sarr being out, having been in for the winger during the summer transfer window, therefore depriving it of a potential audition for the future, but he also has a habit of scoring against the Reds, having struck seven times in 10 games.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is also missing as he serves his suspension after receiving a red card against Tottenham last weekend, although Palace boss Sage has indicated that Jorgen Strand Larsen is fit enough to start, having been left on the bench against Hoffenheim in midweek after returning from injury.
Sage will be desperate for a win to ease some of the pressure he’s under at the moment, with Palace sitting in the relegation zone amid signs of unrest in his squad.
"It's difficult to find the good things over a long period, because when we started to do things in a good way, some bad things emerged,” Sage said ahead of the game.
"In this period, I don't want to blame the players because I'm always behind them and I have a lot of confidence in them. They will continue the work and build the things."
On facing Liverpool, he added: "It's maybe the opportunity to create something special for this group."