Adam Lallana and Simon Mignolet fit for Bournemouth trip but Liverpool trio remain sidelined

Liverpool duo Adam Lallana and Simon Mignolet have been declared fit for Sunday's (17 December) Premier League trip to Bournemouth, although Jurgen Klopp will definitely remain without a trio of key defenders as a number of his first-team players contend with various knocks sustained during a particularly busy portion of the fixture list.

Lallana missed the first three months of the 2017-18 campaign with a thigh injury suffered during the pre-season Audi Cup final defeat to Atletico Madrid in early August.

He made his first-team return as an 89th-minute replacement for Philippe Coutinho in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on 25 November, yet was omitted from the matchday squad for all five of Liverpool's subsequent games due to a minor muscle strain.

The England midfielder will at least make the bench this weekend having returned to full training, while first-choice goalkeeper Mignolet is fine to resume starting duties.

A small ankle knock suffered in the Merseyside derby led to the Belgian being benched in favour of Loris Karius for Wednesday's frustrating goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Klopp revealed that Joe Gomez, James Milner and Andy Robertson should all be in contention to face Bournemouth despite battling unspecified fitness issues, while it remains to be seen if Daniel Sturridge has fully recovered from a hamstring complaint that forced him to sit out the last two matches at Anfield.

Joel Matip, Alberto Moreno and long-term absentee Nathaniel Clyne are all making encouraging progress in their respective recoveries, although none are ready to play just yet.

"Joel is on a good way, running outside. [He is] not available for the weekend, of course. The same for Clyney," Klopp told reporters at Friday's pre-match press conference at Melwood. "Daniel, we have to wait [to see] how he improved since yesterday.

"[We have] a few little things, with Joe, knocks from the game. Joe had a little bit before, that's why we left him out. But he should be OK. Millie and Robbo, a few knocks from the game, should be OK. Adam is back in full and normal training; if nothing changed since yesterday then he will be ready for the squad at least.

"[Moreno] has no chance for Sunday. I saw him yesterday on the bike - good but not good enough. And Simon is OK again."

Klopp denied that Liverpool's recent dip in form was due to a perhaps overzealous rotation policy, stating that his side were unlucky against Everton and simply not good enough in the stalemate with struggling West Brom.

Asked about his plans for the forthcoming January transfer window, he gave little away, saying: "We think all the time about this. It's not only the January window. It's the summer window as well. We have to prepare with scouting and all this, but we have nothing to say for the moment."