Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Firmino back for Arsenal trip, but Klopp unsure of Henderson
LIVERPOOL forward Roberto Firmino is in contention to return for the defending champions against Arsenal this weekend but skipper Jordan Henderson has yet to resume training, manager Jurgen Klopp said yesterday.
Firmino, who has six goals and five league assists this season, missed Liverpool's last three games due to a knee injury while Henderson has not played since late February after undergoing surgery on a groin injury.
Klopp added he was not sure if either Henderson or Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, who has been sidelined since October with a knee injury, would be available for the European Championship this summer.
"Bobby (Firmino) is back. All the others not and I have no idea about the Euros," Klopp told reporters ahead of today's trip to London.
"Jordan is not here at the moment, he cannot train. He will train in the next days or weeks, for sure.
"I don't want to take a player away from England or Holland. If they're ready, they're ready (for the Euros). It's not down to me to make these decisions."
Liverpool and Arsenal sit seventh and ninth in the standings respectively with nine games left to play.
Klopp said he was wary of playing Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates Stadium where Liverpool have not won since 2016.
"Arsenal are a quality side. If you go through the team, there's a lot of potential and quality already and they have the experience of youth," Klopp added.
"They are a really exciting team but the Premier League is a tough league and if you're not at the top level, you get punished. We obviously realise that as well.
"It's a tough one, but it will be a tough one for Arsenal as well. We want to be a team Arsenal do not want to face. We have to fight with all we have."
Meanwhile, Manchester City are unlikely to prioritise the signing of a new striker despite alltime leading scorer Sergio Aguero leaving the club at the end of the campaign, manager Pep Guardiola said yesterday.
Aguero, who has netted 257 goals in 384 appearances and won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and five League Cups at the club, is set to leave when his contract expires.
City have one other central striker in Gabriel Jesus and reports have linked them with Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland but Guardiola hosed down the speculation.
"I don't know what's going to happen but at these prices we're not going to buy any striker," Guardiola told reporters ahead of today's league trip to Leicester City.
"It's impossible. We cannot afford it. All the clubs are struggling financially, us as well. We have Gabriel, Ferran (Torres) who has been incredible, Raheem (Sterling) as a false nine ... Today there's more chance we'll not buy a striker."