Team News: Four Liverpool stars set to miss Bournemouth clash

Team News: Four Liverpool stars set to miss Bournemouth clash Liverpool Team News and Bournemouth Test as Andoni Iraola Eyes Freshness Edge Liverpool head to the Vitality Stadium on Sunday with no new injury concerns, which is the first box Andoni Iraola needed ticked before discussing anything else. The squad situation is unchanged, the schedule has offered a small opening, and the opponent is one he knows inside out. That does not make this simple. Bournemouth away has become one of the more awkward assignments in the Premier League, and Liverpool’s head coach knows it better than most. Liverpool team news stays stable The key update is straightforward. There are no fresh fitness issues ahead of the trip to the south coast. Conor Bradley, Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain unavailable, while the rest of the squad is fit enough to be considered. Iraola put it plainly: “No, everyone is ready to go.” He then added: “We are in the same place we were, with the three long-term injuries plus Federico – and the others, nothing [no concerns]. We still need to train tomorrow [Saturday] and travel but everyone is fine.” That matters. In this part of the season, managers are rarely dealing with perfect conditions. If the injuries are not mounting and the training ground is quiet, that counts as good news. Bournemouth vs Liverpool shaped by schedule The fixture list may hand Liverpool a narrow edge. Bournemouth were in San Sebastian on Thursday night and won 2-1 against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, the first European win in the club’s history. Liverpool, by contrast, were last in action on Tuesday, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Anfield in the Carabao Cup. Iraola sees the difference. “I think we have it, I think we have an advantage. Most of the time it has been the opposite, we are the team that has played the last, but this time we played two days before they played, even if we also have played in midweek. “So, I think there should be an advantage there but also I know where we are going and I know the stats they have there. Not only in their stadium, overall. I think if you see the games they have lost in a long while you realise how difficult it is to beat Bournemouth. “But I suppose I have also the advantage that I know them very well and they also have the advantage that they know me very well. So, you never know who is with more of an advantage in that sense.” That is the correct reading of it. Freshness helps, but it does not erase the difficulty of the venue or the familiarity on both benches. Joe Gomez milestone adds another subplot Joe Gomez returned from injury and started against Tottenham, which was useful in itself. The next time he plays, it will be his 300th appearance for Liverpool. That is a notable landmark for a defender whose career at the club has demanded patience, resilience and repeated comebacks. Photo IMAGO His availability gives Iraola another experienced option at the back, and with the run of matches beginning to tighten, those options matter. Marco Rose faces Bournemouth selection call Marco Rose had little reason to sound alarm bells before the European trip, but his real decisions come after it. Rotation, recovery and game-state management will all be part of his thinking before facing Liverpool. He said: “Nothing new, everyone is in a good spot. Everyone is well recovered for the travel to Spain, then we are going to start to prepare for Liverpool.” He added: “Everyone will give their all on Thursday and then we start to rotate and select players. “At the beginning, you can handle the load and everything around [playing on Thursday and then again on Sunday], but if you do it every week for several months then it gets really demanding. “It’s up to me and the coaching staff to make good decisions in terms of who to play and how long to play them. In the end, we have to feel it and the lads have to be ready.” That is where this game may turn. Liverpool arrive healthier and a little fresher. Bournemouth arrive at home, confident, and with a recent European result in the bank. One side has a marginal physical advantage, the other has proved this is not a ground where visitors get comfort for free. For more on the fixture context, see Liverpool’s latest team news.