Liverpool host Arsenal in Carabao Cup semi-final as COVID-19 outbreak subsides
First leg was postponed last week due to rise in infections in Reds' camp
Liverpool will face Arsenal tomorrow night at Anfield in the first leg of their heavyweight Carabao Cup semi-final clash after last week’s first leg match scheduled at the Emirates Stadium was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Tomorrow's Anfield fixture was meant to be the second leg of the tie, but has become the first leg while the second leg will be played in North London on January 20.
Liverpool were able to re-open the first-team areas of their Kirkby training ground on Friday and a youthful team subsequently came from behind to see off League One Shrewsbury in the third round of the FA Cup.
Back in the dugout
Klopp was back on the touchline for the clash which the Reds won 4-1 after his own period of isolation and will have to make do without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita who are all in Cameroon on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Nottingham Forest. Arteta was missing Granit Xhaka and Folarin Balogun after testing positive for Covid-19, while Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu were absent due to injury.
Arsenal will field a patched-up side what with Gabriel suspended, and Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, Mohamed Elneny and the exiled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all at AFCON. They will be down to the bare bones but the absences of Mane and Salah are key and will give the Gunners some hope.