Florian Wirtz fitness update ahead of Aston Villa
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Florian Wirtz was not in the squad that drew 1-1 to Chelsea last weekend due to illness. Image Credits: Imago ImagesFlorian Wirtz’s start to life at Liverpool has already had a few bumps, and the latest came when he was a surprise absentee from the squad for the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield last weekend.The German playmaker was ruled out after falling ill in the build-up to the game and was unable to take part in full training.
Head coach Arne Slot explained before kick-off that Wirtz had been struggling with a stomach infection and, despite his efforts to make himself available, he was ultimately deemed unfit to feature:“He tried everything to be in it. He wasn’t feeling well during the week.”“He tried earlier in the week to train, but in the end things got worse and he wasn’t able to train with us yesterday and isn’t able to be with us today,” Slot said ahead of Chelsea.The decision was taken as a precaution, with Liverpool unwilling to risk their No.7 and instead choosing to give him time to recover fully from the illness.Now there is a far more positive tone around Wirtz’s condition ahead of the game at Villa Park.Speaking on The Walk On podcast, the Athletic’s James Pearce delivered a reassuring update on the 23-year-old’s fitness, indicating that the stomach problem is no longer an issue and that he should start vs Villa on Friday evening.
Pearce said:“Florian Wirtz will come back in, I think he will start. I’m told that his stomach issue that ruled him out last weekend [vs Chelsea] – he’s now recovered from that and he has trained”With Liverpool still in the race for Europe, having Wirtz available again would be a major boost for Slot, who has already had to juggle several fitness concerns in recent weeks.The expectation is that, provided there is no setback in the final preparations, Wirtz will be back in the squad and in strong contention to start against Unai Emery’s side at Villa Park.A fit and firing Wirtz could be exactly what Liverpool need to tilt a tight game in their favour and restore some attacking spark after the frustration of the Chelsea draw.