Liverpool vs Luton LIVE commentary: Reds battling injury crisis as they bid to maintain top spot ahead of Wembley final – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Liverpool will look to overcome their mounting injury crisis when they return to Premier League action against Luton Town this week.

The Reds' thread-bare squad are in Carabao Cup final action on Sunday which has forced them to squeeze their fixtures in.

Liverpool are entering one of the most important weeks of their seasonCredit: Getty

Jurgen Klopp's side maintained their spot at the top of the table following a 4-1 win away at Brentford last weekend, but suffered a triple injury blow to take their walking wounded to double figures.

With Wembley rivals Chelsea enjoying a full week of rest, Liverpool return to Anfield bidding to maintain their gap over Arsenal.

Luton slipped into the relegation zone following Everton's 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Monday, but have a game in hand.

The Hatters have never won a home league game away at Liverpool but did hold the Merseysiders to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.

Liverpool vs Luton: Subs at the ready

Liverpool's injury list means that utilising every squad player available will be necessary for Klopp to continue his assault on four trophies.

The Reds' substitutes have been directly involved in 20 goals in the Premier League this season, with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo each scoring and assisting from the bench last time out.

Indeed, 20 is the joint-most the Reds have registered in a Premier League season, along with 2015/16.

Thankfully for Liverpool, talisman Salah should be fit to start following his exploits in west London as he chases more history.

The Egyptian has now been directly involved in 24 Premier League goals for Liverpool this season (15 goals, 9 assists) – should he assist one more goal this term, he will become just the second player in the competition’s history to register 10+ goals and 10+ assists in five different campaigns, after Wayne Rooney.

Klopp can almost field an injury XI Liverpool have never lost a home league game against Luton (P14 W8 D6), with this their first such meeting since a 2-1 Reds win in January 1992. Luton have played away at Liverpool without ever winning more often than any other opponent in their professional league history (14), while Liverpool have only faced Grimsby Town (18) at home in the league more without ever losing than the Hatters. Only four promoted teams have ever won their first ever Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield – Newcastle United (1993-94), Barnsley (1997-98), Watford (1999-00) and Blackpool (2010-11).

Liverpool vs Luton: Team news

The hosts suffered three fresh injury blows against Brentford, with Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones leaving the stadium on crutches.

Darwin Nunez was substituted at the break with an unspecified muscle injury and is unlikely to be risked ahead of Sunday's final.

Liverpool remain without goalkeeper Alisson Becker, vice-captain Alexander-Arnold, and summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Reds' packed treatment room still includes long-term absentees Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, and Stefan Bajcetic.

Luton lost top scorer Elijah Adebayo in the warm-up to the defeat to United, to add to their own injury list.

Mads Andersen and Marvelous Nakamba are still sidelined alongside captain Tom Lockyer - who remains unavailable.

Luton have proved a tough outfit for all the big clubs this seasonCredit: Getty Liverpool have lost just one of their last 54 Premier League games at Anfield (W41 D12), going down 1-2 to Jesse Marsch’s Leeds side in October 2022. They are unbeaten in 24 home league games since that defeat to Leeds (W19 D5). Luton are unbeaten in three away league games (W1 D2), picking up more points (5) and scoring more goals (8) in this run than they managed in their first eight away Premier League matches before this (4 pts, W1 D1 L6; 7 goals). Liverpool have won each of their last 11 Premier League games played on a Wednesday since a 0-1 defeat to Brighton at Anfield in February 2021. At home, the Reds have only lost two of their last 50 matches in the competition on this day of the week (W35 D13).

Liverpool vs Luton: What has been said?

Speaking to talkSPORT about his mounting injury crisis, Klopp said: “But that’s our life.

“It’s a bunch of frustrations, but I can’t remember that it was once easy since I’m here, so this is somehow the Liverpool way - we have to do it on a bit of a bumpy road, but that’s how it is, but we take that and we keep going until somebody whistles the game off or we don’t have 11 players anymore. It’s always, ‘Let’s keep going’.

“It was a top team performance today against a super difficult opponent. It was our best performance for ages. And that after our goalie [Alisson] yesterday left the pitch as well with an injury, but our 1-B version [Kelleher] came on and played an incredible game.

“I’m really happy that everybody can see how good he is.”

Salah marked his return from injury with a goal in a superb performance from Liverpool, despite their multiple injury blowsCredit: Getty Liverpool’s Luis Díaz has scored in both of his last two Premier League appearances at Anfield, while against newly promoted sides home and away in the competition, he’s been directly involved in six goals in nine appearances (5 goals, 1 assist). Carlton Morris has scored in both of Luton’s last two away league games against Burnley and Newcastle. The last player to score in three successive away Premier League appearances for a promoted side was Aleksandar Mitrovic for Fulham from October 2022 to January 2023. Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 24 Premier League goals for Liverpool this season (15 goals, 9 assists) – should he assist one more goal this term, he will become just the second player in the competition’s history to register 10+ goals and 10+ assists in five different campaigns, after Wayne Rooney (5).

Liverpool vs Luton: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Wednesday, February 21.

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from Anfield, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30pm.

talkSPORT is the only UK broadcaster to offer full national coverage of this game, with our coverage presented by Adrian Durham.

Commentary comes from Sam Matterface and former England striker Dean Ashton.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.