Southampton v Liverpool: Team news

Alison Becker is excluded from the trip to the south coast, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota still working through their recovery programs.

“(Alisson) is back in training with the goalkeeper coach. He is not training with the team yet, but it is expected to be done shortly, so let’s wait and see where he is in terms of match fitness,” Slot said during his pre-match press conference.

“But he’s getting better and better, but he’s not ready to play (on) Sunday.

“Trent is not training with us yet, but he is on his way there, so we expect him to be back with us soon. Jota is still apart of the group, the same as Federico, who might come back to the session in a practice session today.

“They’re all expected to be back between now and a few weeks, but the last part of the recovery is always the hardest. So let’s wait and see.”

The hosts are without central defence Jan Bednarek and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdalewith the former sustaining a knee injury on international duty and the latter undergoing finger surgery.

“They will both be out this weekend,” Southampton manager Russell Martin told the media on Thursday.

“It’s (a) big (blow), they’ve been two of our best players all season. In the last couple of weeks, Jan and Aaron have a lot of responsibility for them to start the way we play in the build-up and stuff, so obviously that’s going to affect the team and how it looks.

“But other people have to step up and take their place and take an opportunity now. I’ve been really happy for those guys and now they’re going to be out of the team for a while, it’s up to people to stake their claim.”

On other updates regarding his team’s fitness, Martin added: “I think Ryan Fraser is back now Kamaldeen (Sulemana) is back properly now. I think everything else is pretty much the same.”

Ross Stewart and Will Smallbone was out with an injury before the international break, while Gavin Bazunu is long-term absence.