Philippe Coutinho and Joel Matip will Liverpool’s New Years Eve showdown with Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.
Coutinho had targeted the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side as his comeback date from an ankle ligament injury which had ruled him out since the end of November.
Matip, meanwhile, missed the Reds’ previous three games with an ankle problem but had also hoped to return in time for the battle of the Premier League’s top three.
However Klopp insists that neither player will be in contention and does not expect Coutinho to return until after the January 2 trip to Sunderland.
He said: “[Coutinho] is in a good way, a really good way, but the City game, for sure, is too early.
“If the City game is too early, then I am pretty sure the Sunderland game is too early, too.”