Predicted line-ups, the place to look at & Van Dijk talks Champions League qualification

Virgil van Dijk is set that Liverpool bounce again in opposition to Chelsea tomorrow and make sure a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League.

The Merseysiders go into the weekend with a six-point benefit over sixth-placed Bournemouth and a superior objective distinction following final Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United. A win over the struggling Londoners must be sufficient, though Aston Villa’s qualification for the Europa League closing has additionally opened the potential for sixth-place being ample to safe a seat at Europe’s prime desk.

Van Dijk instructed the membership’s matchday programme: “We all know we nonetheless have a job to do to safe Champions League qualification for subsequent season, and we need to try this as quickly as doable. We have now three video games left to play, and we need to win all of them, beginning on Saturday.

“Chelsea, like ourselves, have discovered it tough at occasions this season, however we all know that they possess plenty of expertise of their squad.

“They are going to be motivated after a disappointing results of their very own final weekend, and we all know we’ll should be at our greatest if we need to get the three factors.

“Like I say, that’s our goal, nothing extra. This has been a really disappointing season – an unacceptable one, for my part – however we can’t really feel sorry for ourselves. That isn’t what Liverpool is about.

“We’re all pissed off after all, however we need to attempt to end on a constructive observe, safe that Champions League spot and provide you with guys a minimum of one thing to remove from a tricky marketing campaign.”

Chelsea will probably be focusing on sixth place and hoping that is sufficient to salvage one thing from a marketing campaign that began brightly however has tailed off alarmingly.

The Blues head to Anfield in ninth place and with interim boss Calum McFarlane insisting his gamers are keen to complete the season strongly.

He mentioned: ”We need to flip it round. We all know the requirements this membership has set, we aren’t assembly them in the intervening time. The one factor we are able to management is how we behave and act each single day and the way we work to show that degree of efficiency round.”

The Chelsea followers turned on the gamers throughout Monday’s 3-1 residence defeat to Nottingham Forest and McFarlane accepts the efficiency was not adequate.

“I utterly perceive the sensation. We’re as disillusioned and pissed off as they’re,” he added. “I put it all the way down to presumably not responding properly sufficient to the early set-backs that we had. We have to do significantly better in these moments as a result of it has occurred earlier than and it’s one thing we’ll handle and attempt to enhance for the upcoming video games.”

Workforce information for Liverpool v Chelsea

Alisson may return in objective for Liverpool however Mohamed Salah remains to be out, as are Hugo Ekitiké, Wataru Endō, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni. Alexander Isak missed the sport at Previous Trafford and his availability is unsure.

Reece James and Levi Colwill are each in competition to begin however Jesse Derry and Robert Sanchez, who each suffered head accidents in opposition to Forest, miss out. Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are main doubts.