The headline news from the Liverpool starting XI against Brentford this afternoon is that Mo Salah and Andy Robertson both start in their final game for the club, and there are other reasons for Reds fans to cheer, too.
The other change from the defeat to Aston Villa nine days ago sees the return of Alisson Becker after two months out injured, and he’s not the only player in Arne Slot’s squad who could make his comeback after a lengthy absence.
Wataru Endo’s season seemed to be over when he suffered a foot injury in the win over Sunderland in mid-February, but recently there was fresh hope of him featuring at the tail end of the campaign when he was included in Japan’s squad for the upcoming World Cup.
The midfielder is back among the substitutes for today’s fixture at home to Brentford, and while it might go largely unnoticed amid all the attention on Salah and Robertson, it didn’t escape the attention of Lewis Steele.
When the team news was confirmed 75 minutes before kick-off, the Daily Mail journalist posted on X: ‘Mo Salah and Andy Robertson both start their farewell game for Liverpool. Alisson back, Rio Ngumoha starts a third straight game, Wataru Endo back in the squad after 102 days which is good news for Japan.’
Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
Having not played or even been in the matchday squad for three-and-a-half months, there’s no guarantee that Endo will get on the pitch for Liverpool this afternoon, particularly if the Reds’ Champions League fate rests in the balance throughout the second half.
However, if Arne Slot deems him fit enough for a brief runout and the tension over a top-five finish has subsided well before the final whistle, hopefully we might see the 33-year-old get some minutes on the field against Brentford.
As Steele highlighted, the sight of our number 3 in the squad today also bodes well for his chances of being ready to start for Japan when they commence their World Cup campaign against Netherlands in three weeks’ time.
It’s typical of Liverpool’s luck this season that, just as the campaign comes to a close, they finally have a near full-strength starting XI and several experienced options in reserve, rather than having to fill the bench with an assortment of academy players with little to no top-flight previous.
It’s nonetheless a welcome sight to have Endo back in the squad, and if he can get even a cameo apperance on the pitch at Anfield today, that’d come as a nice bonus.
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
