Liverpool quartet expected to be fit for Manchester City clash

Liverpool are expecting to welcome four key first-team players back to the squad ahead of their trip to Manchester City after the international break.

The Reds will take on the Premier League champions in the early kick-off on Saturday 25 November in what will likely be the club's toughest game of the season.

Jurgen Klopp will be dreading the thought of his South American contingent perhaps not being available from the start due to the quick turnaround between the early kick-off and the international fixtures, but the German could get some good news before the trip to the Etihad Stadium.

According to This Is Anfield, Liverpool could welcome back four players who missed the clash with Brentford before the international break, a game the Reds won 3-0 in spite of their depleted squad.

Two of those expected to return for Man City are centre-backs Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate, both of whom were surprise omissions for the win over Brentford.

Klopp admitted after the game that neither defender had suffered a serious injury, but Konate still had to withdraw from Didier Deschamps' France squad for the November international break.

However, both should reportedly be available for the trip to Manchester, which will be music to Klopp's ears as he looks to stifle City's immense firepower up front.

Gomez also offers the Liverpool boss great versatility, capable of playing centrally or on the left or right-hand side of the back four.

In midfield, there is also potentially great news. While Alexis Mac Allister will definitely return after serving his one-game suspension, although whether he's fit enough to start after his excursions with Argentina remains to be seen, two more central midfielders could come back into the fold.

One of those is Curtis Jones, who has missed Liverpool's last three games with injury. Having also missed three games through suspension after his red card against Tottenham, the 22-year-old hasn't played a lot of football lately.

Jones should be joined in the squad by Ryan Gravenberch after the Dutchman also missed Liverpool's last two matches with a minor knee injury. Klopp had suggested that the midfielder would return after the international break and he seems on track to recover in time for the Man City encounter.

Providing no more injuries are sustained on international duty, Liverpool would only be without Andy Robertson, Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley and Thiago for their first Premier League game in two weeks.