After a weather-induced delay, the highly anticipated Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool is finally scheduled to kick off tonight at 7:30 PM GMT under the floodlights of Goodison Park.
Originally set for Saturday, December 7, 2024, the fixture was postponed due to the disruptive effects of Storm Darragh. With both sides now having extra time to prepare, the match promises to be a fiery and closely contested battle.
Adding to the occasion’s significance, tonight’s derby will be the last-ever at Goodison Park before Everton moves to their new stadium, marking the end of an era for the historic ground.
**Liverpool’s Injury Concerns and Potential Boost**
Liverpool could be boosted by the return of vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been sidelined since sustaining an injury against Bournemouth earlier this month. Head coach Arne Slot provided an update in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, confirming that Alexander-Arnold had resumed partial training.
“Trent has done parts of training sessions with us,” Slot said. “Not ‘sessions,’ a session, yesterday. So, let’s see how he is today. He will train, hopefully, with us again, and then we have to decide if we take him to the game, yes or no.”
However, the Reds will be without Joe Gomez, who suffered a recurrence of a leg injury during his recent return against Plymouth Argyle. The versatile defender is ruled out, and the club is still assessing the extent of his condition.
“Joe, it’s the same leg where he had the injury last time. We are still assessing that, but he will definitely not be available tomorrow,” Slot confirmed.
Additionally, midfielder Tyler Morton remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury.
**Everton Aiming to Bounce Back**
On the other side, Everton manager David Moyes is hopeful that left-back Vitalii Mykolenko will be fit for the derby after missing the Toffees’ FA Cup loss to Bournemouth. Everton will be eager to bounce back and secure a win in what will be a historic final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
