Andy Carroll is in line to make his Liverpool debut against Manchester United on Sunday while Raul Meireles, Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio could also play.
Liverpool's £35million January signing Carroll has been injured since the turn of the year but he trained fully with the first-team for the first time on Tuesday after recovering from his thigh problem.
Manager Kenny Dalglish has indicated that the club signed Carroll with a view to what he can offer as a long-term replacement for Chelsea signing Fernando Torres but he will still be eager to inject the former Newcastle striker into his team after West Ham ended their eight-match unbeaten run on Sunday.
If Carroll is cleared to face United at Anfield he will almost certainly start on the bench. If either Agger (leg) or Aurelio (abductor) can prove their fitness before Sunday, however, they will likely be inserted straight into the team to cover the left back position vacated by Glen Johnson, who will move to the right in place of Martin Kelly. Impressive young right back Kelly is out for a month after injuring his hamstring against West Ham.
Meireles, who joined Kelly in limping off early during the 3-1 loss at Upton Park, is another who will need to be passed fit later in the week if he is to line up against United in a match that will influence the Premier League title race. Meireles has been in hot scoring form for Liverpool so his inclusion would be a boost for Dalglish's injury-hit team.
No comments:
Post a Comment