Fitness update given as key Red misses Liverpool v Brighton | OneFootball

Joel Matip misses Liverpool’s Premier League fixture with Brighton and Hove Albion purely down to freshness reasons rather than the defender being injured once again, in what is likely a relief to Reds fans.

With Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez both out for considerable periods of time this season, the Reds are looking to the likes of Fabinho and Matip to step up and fill the void.

Matip, though, has not got a good injury record and news that he is not featuring this lunchtime against the Albion has naturally sprung concerns that he has picked up another knock.

However, in BT Sport’s coverage of the game, lead commentator Darren Fletcher (11:35) revealed that Matip is only being rested in a case of the club exercising ‘load management.’

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ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

It makes sense to manage Matip given his struggles to really go on a run of games for the Reds during his time at the club.

We’re in a hectic period of the season and so perhaps it was to be expected that the former Schalke man was going to be left out at times in the coming weeks.

Nat Phillips and Fabinho are tasked with keeping things tight at the back for the Reds this afternoon, then, and time will tell when Matip is back ready to feature in the coming matches.