Liverpool star a ‘doubt’ as Everton striker suffers injury ahead of Merseyside derby

Liverpool are in the worst form for years at the moment as they sit 10th in the Premier League table after a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Wolves. The Reds are without a league win since December.

The upcoming Merseyside derby arguably couldn’t come at a worse time as Everton visit Anfield on Monday evening. The Toffees will take the half mile journey across Stanley Park nine days after their shock win over Arsenal in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge.

Ahead of the huge clash, we take a look at the latest headlines in Liverpool...

Thiago latest

Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara has been struggling with a hip injury this week, Jurgen Klopp has revealed. The midfielder trained alone in Thursday’s session as he underwent a tailored regime to prepare for the Everton clash, however it now appears he may not be fit to feature at all.

Thiago was part of the Liverpool side that were thrashed by Wolves last time out and has been an ever present figure in their starting line-up, while the likes of Naby Keita, Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic have mostly been rotated. It is unclear whether the Spaniard will be able to play any part in Monday’s fixture and could be replaced by Jordan Henderson, who was benched at the weekend.

While Thiago has largely impressed since joining Liverpool from Bayern Munich, his career in England so far has been plagued with injuries. The 31-year-old was sidelined for over three months in total last season and has already missed out on another month of football due to a hamstring problem at the start of the current campaign.

Read more about Liverpool’s latest injury news here.

Everton injury blow

While Liverpool continue to struggle with their own injury problems, Everton also have their own issues ahead of the Merseyside derby. The Liverpool Echo have reported that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a doubt for Monday’s match as he nurses a long-term hamstring problem.

The striker has struggled with his fitness over the past couple of seasons and has failed to find his form since missing four months with a fractured toe at the start of the 2021/22 campaign. Calvert-Lewin missed another month or so with a knee problem back in August and has since struggled to stay fit, while he has only managed one goal so far this season.

The England international’s absence could mean that Neal Maupay starts up top, with the Frenchman so far enduring an underwhelming spell since joining the Toffees in the summer. Maupay has scored once in the Premier League since his move and has failed to find the back of the net since September.