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Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker among Liverpool players rested for Union SG tie

sportsmole.co.uk, 13 December 2023, 17:41
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has left several revered names at home for the Reds' final Europa League group-stage match against Union SG on Thursday evening.

The Merseyside giants travel to Belgium safe in the knowledge that they will qualify for the last 16 as Group E winners no matter what transpires on the final day, having amassed 12 points from 15 on offer.

Klopp's side assured themselves of a place in the last 16 by thrashing LASK Linz 4-0 at home on the penultimate matchday, bypassing a playoff tie with an eliminated Champions League side in the process.

The Reds have rotated heavily in the Europa League throughout the season, and with nothing but pride on the line at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Klopp will make changes in abundance once again.

A 23-man group has boarded the flight to Belgium for the final matchday, and there are some notable absentees among the Liverpool troupe, including star attacker Mohamed Salah.

The Egypt international hit two milestones in the weekend's win over Crystal Palace, netting his 200th Liverpool goal and 150th Premier League goal, and he has also appeared in all five of his side's Europa League Group E clashes so far, scoring three times and providing one assist.

However, Salah will enjoy a well-earned rest ahead of Sunday's Premier League home clash with Manchester United, while first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker is also absent following his recent recovery from a hamstring problem.

Caoimhin Kelleher, Marcelo Pitagula and Fabian Mrozek have been called up as the Reds' shot-stopping options, while defensive duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have also been omitted from the squad.

Several senior players have still made the journey, though, including the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Ibrahima Konate, who join a plethora of academy products in the travelling party.

Conor Bradley, Calum Scanlon, Tom Hill and James McConnell will be among the Under-21 players eyeing valuable first-team minutes on Thursday, while Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon will seemingly battle to deputise for Salah out wide.

While Liverpool are through to the knockout rounds as group winners, Union SG still have plenty to play for on home soil, as the Belgian outfit sit third in the group with five points to their name, three worse off than Toulouse.

Union SG could sneak into second place if they beat Liverpool and Toulouse lose to LASK Linz, but a draw or victory for the French side would see the hosts demoted to the Europa Conference League playoffs.

LIVERPOOL SQUAD IN FULL

Liverpool squad

Gomez, Endo, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Chambers, Pitaluga, Scanlon, Gordon, Doak, McConnell, Kelleher, Koumas, Quansah, Hill, Bradley, Mrozek

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