The Reds head into the encounter six points clear at the summit of the table. They’re heavy favourites to take another step closer to the crown as they face a Tractor Boys outfit who are 18th.
Curtis Jones was forced off in the 2-1 win over Lille in the Champions League earlier this week. Jones had to be substituted at half-time, having been earmarked for more minutes. And the midfielder will not be available to face Ipswich although Jones has not suffered a long-term problem.
Head coach Slot said at his pre-match press conference: “He went off during half-time. It’s mostly not a good sign and it wasn’t because he won’t be available for tomorrow. We have to see the rest how long it’s going to take. I’m not expecting months but let’s see if he’s available for PSV [Eindhoven] or Bournemouth.”
Before the Lille game, Ibrahima Konate admitted he was playing with pain. The defender returned from a knee injury at the start of January, having been sidelined for more than a month.
Slot insists that Liverpool are managing Konate’s load after he did not feature in the Lille encounter. Slot added: “We have seen how to manage that. We skipped him twice. This game, Jarell [Quansah] played and Accrington Stanley game, he didn’t play as well.
“That is a bit because he has some pain, don’t exaggerate it, but he probably feels a bit. It is safe for him to play but the loads you’re aware of. When a player is out for five or six weeks then plays every three days is, in our opinion, a risk. He now comes to a moment where he will be able to play three times a week.”
Diogo Jota (muscle) and Joe Gomez (hamstring) remain unavailable to face Ipswich. The Tractor Boys’ main aim is survival this season, having secured back-to-back promotions from League One.
Liverpool battled to a 2-0 win over Ipswich when they met on the opening day of the season. They are in the relegation zone, having been thrashed 6-0 by Manchester City last weekend, but Slot is wary the Reds are in for a tough test. He added: "I think it's fair to say Ipswich have improved during the first half of the season. It's also a compliment to Kieran McKenna, who made it really difficult in the first time. They've become a good team who make it difficult, with the last game being an exception because maybe [Manchester] City are becoming City again."
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