20 September 2023 , 17:41
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Liverpool have flown to Austria with a 23-man squad as they bid to get their Europa League campaign off to a perfect start.
The Reds will take on LASK Linz on Thursday, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara both remaining on Merseyside as they recover from injuries. Alexander-Arnold was spotted in training with the Reds on Kirkby on Thursday, but has been left behind as he recovers from a hamstring injury, with the England international hopeful that he will be fit to face West Ham on Sunday.
Captain Virgil van Dijk returns to the squad after serving his two-match domestic suspension for his red card at Newcastle and subsequent reaction, with the Dutchman missing the Premier League wins over Aston Villa and Wolves.
Young defender Jarell Quansah, who started at Wolves in the absences of Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, has been named in the squad after shaking off a knock, with Konate also available after making a late cameo at Molineux.
Scottish winger Ben Doak, 17, is included in the squad having signed a new contract this week, with the teenager expected to get some appearances in the Europa League this season. Due to UEFA regulations Doak could only be included in the squad after Liverpool left out goalkeeper Adrian, with Czech stopper Vitezslav Jaros acting as No.3 behind Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher.
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Virgil van Dijk returns to the squad after his domestic suspension (PA)Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has outlined the challenges that lie ahead in the Europa League, saying: "First and foremost, I think we all have to make sure that everybody, for the team I'm responsible, [but] that we all respect the competition in the right manner [and] that we respect the opponents [in] the right manner.
"Wherever we will go that will be a massive game for the teams. Everybody [who] comes to Anfield, it will be a massive game for them. It's also in the Champions League the same.
Jurgen Klopp oversaw Liverpool's training session on Thursday (PA)"But it will be here as well, and we have to be 100 per cent ready for that. That's the most important stuff. And what do you say? Don't praise the day before the night? So why should we talk about anything before we even play the first game?
"We want to go as far as somehow possible. I would love to go to the final, obviously, but I have no clue if you can reach that because there will be a lot of fantastic football teams in between us and that target. So we have to make sure we perform."
Liverpool squad for LASK: Alisson, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Robertson, Matip, Gravenberch, Bajcetic, Doak, Jaros, Kelleher, Quansah.