Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino may be at odds with Arsenal after returning to training with Jurgen Klopp’s side on Monday.
The Brazilian missed Liverpool’s last three matches before the international break after picking up a knee injury, although he did not miss the chance to fly away with Brazil as the Selecao matches were all postponed as a COVID-19 precaution.
Bobby is Bobby? ❌ pic.twitter.com/SRY10jREID
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 29 March 2021
Instead, Firmino stayed at Anfield with other Brazilians Alisson (who has a fantastic mustache these days) and Fabinho, and Liverpool posted a picture on Twitter showing Firmino joining the rest of the players not traveling for international service.
Firmino was part of a session that also featured Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Naby Keita, Adrian, Nat Phillips and Ben Davies, with a number of academy players drafted to offset the numbers.
Klopp will now decide to do over Firmino’s condition. His Liverpool side are set to travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Saturday, and the manager will be keen to be as close to full strength as possible.
Klopp makes a late decision on Firmino’s condition | Pool / Getty Images
The Reds are already five points behind Chelsea in fourth, and a defeat would not only see them fall further behind, but it would also see Arsenal move just one point behind Liverpool in the Premier League table.
If Firmino is absent, Klopp can ask the summer to sign Diogo Jota, who scored his team’s only goal of the match in a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers before the international break.
The Portuguese international has transferred his goal-scoring form to the international stage and has ruined Serbia’s Nikola Milenkovic on his way to a two-goal game in a 2-2 draw.
Firmino is one of the only doubts in Klopp’s squad for the Arsenal match. Liverpool remain without center-backs Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, while captain Jordan Henderson’s groin injury is expected to keep him on the sidelines.
England chief Gareth Southgate recently suggested that Henderson’s question could be worse than originally feared. The midfielder was expected to return in early April, but Southgate claimed there was a chance he might not be back in time to take part in this summer’s European Championships.
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