Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Sunday, August 21.
Liverpool fitness boost for Man United
Liverpool will have to wait until Monday before they can get their hotly-anticipated showdown with Manchester United underway at Old Trafford.
The televised evening fixture between the two most successful sides in English football will be watched by millions around the globe and both teams are desperate for a win. New United boss Erik ten Hag has endured something of a nightmare start to his reign, with back-to-back defeats including a humiliating 4-0 rout at the hands of Brentford.
But Liverpool have not exactly made a satisfactory start themselves, salvaging two draws from their opening two matches, heaping great importance on the United duel as as result.
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Jurgen Klopp had his players back on training pitch today and a few things stood out in their preparations for the trip to Manchester.
Henderson is back - but no sign of longer term absentees
Jordan Henderson has handed Liverpool a boost after appearing to return to full training. The Liverpool captain had trained away from the main group in pictures released on Thursday.
The Reds have found themselves with a lengthy injury list early in the season, something that may have hampered their first couple of results, but any hopes of a few more surprise returns have been dashed. Thiago, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were nowhere to be seen. Liverpool could do with them all back as soon as possible.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Bruno Fernandes sends blunt message after Klopp comments
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has joined Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp in responding to criticism from talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, although the Portuguese international insists the comments don't worry him 'too much'.
Klopp was an unlikely figure to come to United's defence after a disappointing start to the season, with two defeats in their opening two games. The Reds take on Erik ten Hag's side on Monday Night Football, but the Liverpool boss wasn't impressed with the amount of criticism for their bitter rivals.
"It was obviously not nice for United after the Brentford game," he said in his pre-United press conference on Friday. "We forget in these moments how good Brentford are, to be honest. I watched the first-half here then I drove home and listened to talkSPORT.
"Gabby Agbonlahor, he lost against us 6-0 in my first year (at Liverpool), I couldn't remember him as a mentality monster on the pitch (that day). What he said about United on that show, I was close to calling in! I was to calling in and telling him you forgot completely you were a player, it was unbelievable."
The pundit himself responded to the Liverpool manager's comments with a throwback to the pre-Klopp era where he scored at Anfield to help Villa to a 1-0 victory. "Flashback Friday - mentality to win 1-0 at Anfield..." he wrote on social media.
Now, Fernandes has also been asked about Agbonlahor's scathing review of United, in which the pundit labelled the team 'amateur' and said Ten Hag should 'pack up', despite being in charge for just two games. Fernandes, though, isn't phased by the comments.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
READ NEXT:
- Jamie Carragher makes ‘really tough’ Manchester United prediction after 'freak' Liverpool admission
- Moises Caicedo 'turns down' Man United in favour of 'linking up' with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
- Steven Gerrard sends out 'gamesmanship' warning after Darwin Nunez red card for Liverpool
- ‘What’s this guy saying that to me for?' - Liverpool £12m signing shocked Luis Suarez but left Anfield with mystery unsolved
- Jude Bellingham 'will have the last word' as Liverpool and Real Madrid transfer claim emerges
