Rangers v Liverpool injury news as 8 ruled out and 5 doubts

Liverpool will meet Rangers for the second time in two weeks on Wednesday as they travel to Glasgow for their Champions League group stage clash. The Reds put on a positive showing against Rangers at Anfield last week as goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah claimed all three points for the home side.

Their performance at Anfield looked to be a turning point for Liverpool, however a difficult defeat to Arsenal at the weekend has left the fans frustrated.

With Napoli and Ajax still to come, Liverpool will be desperate to pick up another win at the Ibrox Stadium if they are to progress, while Rangers need to pick up points to keep their hope alive. With a lot riding on Wednesday’s trip north, Jurgen Klopp’s side certainly haven’t been helped out by their continuing injury list that has haunted them all season.

Ahead of this week’s Champions League tie, here is the latest injury news for both teams...

Rangers

Filip Helander - injured

Filip Helander is yet to feature for Rangers this season after suffering a foot injury against St Mirren back in April. The defender hadn’t long returned from knee trouble at the end of the 2021/22 campaign before he was sidelined and is once again set to miss the Scottish club’s clash with Liverpool. Helander won’t feature for Rangers until after the World Cup and could face missing out on their entire Champions League campaign.

John Souttar - injured

Rangers are without another centre-back for the Champions League match after John Souttar suffered an injury on his debut in July. Like Helander, the 26-year-old won’t return until after the World Cup and will leave the Gers light at the back for the Reds’ visit.

Tom Lawrence - injured

After scoring two goals in his first five Scottish Premiership appearances, Tom Lawrence has been absent since sustaining a knee injury in August. The winger had returned to training in recent weeks but suffered a setback and was ruled out of both matches against Liverpool.

Kemar Roofe - injured

Kemar Roofe has been sidelined all season but could make a return as Rangers host Liverpool. The forward returned to training last week and was expected to make his comeback as the Gers faced St Mirren at the weekend, though wasn’t named in the matchday squad. The clash could come too soon for a start for Roofe, however he could feature from the bench.

Ianis Hagi - injured

The attacker is yet to recover from an injury sustained back in January, though it was previously thought he could return before the World Cup. However, the 23-year-old’s dad, Gheorghe Hagi, revealed to Romanian TV that he doesn’t know ‘whether Ianis will play this year or not’.

Alex Lowry - doubt

Alex Lowry has only made a handful of senior appearances for Rangers after picking up an injury in August but is nearing a return to the side.

On Lowry, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst said: “Alex joined two sessions this week so he is back in full training with the squad. I think he needs a couple more training sessions to get stronger physically but he is a player that we have back.

“We know his qualities in all the games we are going to play in the next month. He will be involved when he is ready.”

It is unclear the exact date the midfielder could make an appearance, though the Champions League clash seems too early.

Liverpool

Arthur Melo - injured

Arthur Melo was yet to make an appearance for the first team since his summer loan move from Juventus as he looked to build up his fitness due to a lack of pre-season. However, it was confirmed that the Brazilian is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines following surgery which could see him miss between three to four months or action.

Naby Keita - injured

Naby Keita is currently absent with a muscle injury and hasn’t featured for Liverpool since their Community Shield victory over Man City in July. The midfielder was left out of the Reds’ Champions League squad as he continues his recovery from injury, while he also remains linked with a move away from Anfield in the near future.

Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain - injured

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been extremely unlucky with injuries during his career on Merseyside and has been sidelined with a thigh problem since March. This week’s trip to Scotland will come too early for the midfielder, though he could make a comeback before the Premier League pauses for the World Cup.

Andy Robertson - doubt

The boyhood Celtic fan has been absent since Liverpool’s defeat to Napoli at the start of September. After suffering a knee injury, Robertson will be eager to make his return in Glasgow and Klopp has already revealed he ‘looks close’. Despite missing out on the Arsenal clash at the weekend, Robertson could travel to the Ibrox on Wednesday - though it is unclear whether he will be able to start the game.

Curtis Jones - doubt

Having missed out on the whole campaign so far after suffering a stress fracture in his tibia, Jones has finally returned to first team training and is advancing with his recovery. Klopp has previously admitted the midfielder is the closest to a return out of their injury list, though an appearance against Rangers could come too soon.

Luis Diaz - doubt

Diaz was forced off with an injury during Liverpool’s defeat to Arsenal and was seen leaving the Emirates Stadium on crutches. Klopp has revealed it ‘doesn’t look good’ for the Colombian, who will have to undergo scans to discover the extent of the problem. While we don’t know how bad the injury is, Diaz is certainly a major doubt for their meeting with Rangers.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - doubt

Trent Alexander-Arnold also picked up an injury in the Reds’ trip to London ast the weekend and was withdrawn at half-time. The right-back twisted his ankle at the Emirates Stadium and will require a scan before it is known how long he will be out for.