Manchester City vs Liverpool: latest injury and suspension news
The Premier League title race is set to reach boiling point on Sunday as the top two scrap it out at the Etihad. Here’s the injury latest on both teams.
With eight games left to play, the 2021/22 Premier League is still far from being decided but tomorrow’s clash at the Etihad could play a pivotal part in who lifts the trophy. Manchester City top the table on 73 points. Sunday’s opponents Liverpool are in hot pursuit just one point behind them after having dropped just two points since the start of the year. City knocked Chelsea off the summit at the start of December and have stayed there since then, only briefly ceding top spot to Liverpool for a couple of hours last weekend.
City’s lead whittled down to one point
It’s incredible to think that in January, Jürgen Klopp’s team were 14 points behind City. The Reds boss says that Guardiola, who he considers “the best coach in the world”, won’t be losing any sleep about Liverpool having caught up. “I know it was 14 points but we had two games in hand,’ Klopp said in Friday’s pre-game press conference. “I am not sure I have ever been 14 ahead and then all of a sudden only one. I wouldn’t imagine they feel more under pressure, to be honest”.
Guardiola will be without key centre-back Rúben Dias, who is near the end of his recovery from a hamstring injury but not match-fit. On a brighter note, John Stones picked up a groin injury while on international duty with England last month but has overcome that and completed the full 90 minutes of last week’s Champions League quarter final first leg against Atlético Madrid. Stones will likely partner Aymeric Laporte in the heart of City’s defence on Sunday. Otherwise, as Guardiola happily reported in his pre-match press briefing, everyone else is fit to play and free of suspension.
Klopp’s Liverpool go into the game in similar health. The German has had the luxury of a full squad to pick his starting XI for the past few weeks. However Roberto Firmino was absent from Friday’s training session in Kirkby. The Brazilian was out for three weeks with a muscular issue, missing six games between February and March and was laid low with Covid-19 at the start of the year. He played the full 90 minutes in the 2-0 home win against Watford last weekend and came on for the final half hour against Benfica mid-week. There’s been no word from the Liverpool camp so we can assume he will be in the squad, even if he starts on the bench.
Manchester City vs Liverpool: when, where and how to watch
Manchester City vs Liverpool will kick off at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 10 April 2022 at 4:30pm local time (11:30am ET, 8:30am PT). Viewers in the US will be able to watch the game live on USA Network and Telemundo.