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Liverpool vs Southampton: Saints suffer availability blows all over the pitch

By Russell Hughes

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 02: Danny Ings of Southampton celebrates following his sides victory in the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park on October 2, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 02: Danny Ings of Southampton celebrates following his sides victory in the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park on October 2, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /
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Liverpool make the trip down south to play Southampton in the Premier League on Friday night, and the Saints will be without key men across the pitch.

The Reds loaned Danny Ings to the coastal side and although they will buy him at the end of the season, Ings isn’t available for the game because of the terms of that agreement – reported that official Southampton website.

That will mean Shane Long will have to step up and replace the once-capped England international, which will weaken the Saints side and make their attacking threat easier to deal with.

Long works hard and can bring others into the game, but the 32-year-old has scored just once this season and has just 28 in 174 career appearances for Southampton. Not great returns.

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Jannik Vestergaard joined from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2018 and has been an important part of the side, largely repaying that £22.50 million splashed out on him. But, manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said that he may not be available for the game.

If Vestergaard is still unfit, it’ll be up to Academy graduate Jack Stephens to step up to the plate and stop Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino or Mohamed Salah from running riot and adding to their season’s tally.

There is one player who will not be taking part in the Liverpool game, and that’s Mario Lemina. Hasenhüttl stated that Lemina will not be part of the squad after training this week because he still needs more rest.

And so the Saints will have problems in every area of the pitch as they go into the Friday night’s game. With one striker out, his replacement a non-scorer, a big money defender looking unsure and an important midfielder still missing things could get ugly.

Next. This is the Liverpool midfield Jurgen Klopp will start at Southampton. dark

We have another chance to keep the pressure on Manchester City with a win at St Marys, and their injury problems make that even more likely.

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