PREM: Huddersfield v Liverpool preview

Huddersfield v Liverpool preview

Naby Keita will not feature for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp faces close friend David Wagner's Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Guinea midfielder was taken off in the first half of his country's trip to Rwanda in the Africa Nations Cup qualifier on Tuesday and Klopp confirmed he had picked up a hamstring injury.

The Reds manager is also backing Wagner to succeed at Huddersfield despite their poor start to the season, and called another potential survival of relegation a 'third miracle'.

"This year it's a stronger side and stronger football. I speak to Dave [Wagner] most weekends and I think the club is brilliant," Klopp said.

"There is no reason to be worried about Dave's situation at Huddersfield. This year if he stays in the league he has a hat-trick of miracles."

Wagner also called Saturday's game "special", but said his side are focused on the challenge at hand against a Liverpool team who are unbeaten in the Premier League.

"It's a game I always look forward to," he said. "It's a special game, for me and this football club. We play Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League at our stadium. We will invest everything and we aim to deliver something extraordinary.

"We are focused and we will try to prepare the team as well as we can. All together we have to show the passion and desire to be ready for this challenge."

Elsewhere for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah (hamstring) and Sadio Mane (broken thumb) are still in contention despite arriving back at Melwood with fitness issues.

Virgil van Dijk will continue to play with a rib problem, James Milner could feature despite a hamstring injury sustained just before the international break while Adam Lallana is set to feature in the squad for the first time since September 1.

Philip Billing is hoping to prove his fitness in time for Huddersfield after sustaining an ankle injury while on international duty with Denmark U21s, but has returned to full training and will be monitored.

Isaac Mbenza (knee) will also be assessed, while club captain Tommy Smith (groin), Terence Kongolo (hamstring) and Danny Williams (knee) are out.