Liverpool vs. Stoke City: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info

Liverpool welcome Stoke City to Anfield on Tuesday hoping to hand the Potters their fourth consecutive result without a win, and the Reds have motivation to spare with Premier League leaders Chelsea in their sights.

Manager Jurgen Klopp's side sit six points below the Blues heading into the Christmas fixture schedule, but the Merseysiders will have to beat Stoke without the services of talisman Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazilian is one of several notable absences for the Reds, while Potters boss Mark Hughes will also be missing a few key names for the midweek trip.

Stoke have won just one of their four matches so far in December and have drawn their last two outings in a row, but a win over the hosts on Tuesday could push his side as far as eighth in the English top flight.

Read on for all the latest team news leading into Tuesday's encounter, complete with match preview and all the essential viewing information.

Date: Tuesday, December 27

Time: 5:15 p.m. GMT/12:15 p.m. ET

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool

Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK), NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.)

TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), NBCSN (U.S.)

Liverpool	Stoke City
Everton 0-1 Liverpool	Stoke City 2-2 Leicester City
Middlesbrough 0-3 Liverpool	Stoke City 0-0 Southampton
Liverpool 2-2 West Ham United	Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City
Bournemouth 4-3 Liverpool	Stoke City 2-0 Burnley
Liverpool 2-0 Leeds United	Watford 0-1 Stoke City

Team News

Liverpool are waiting to see if Coutinho will be fit to feature again in 2016, but Tuesday will be too soon for the attacker to make a return from his ankle injury. Defender Joel Matip is yet to resume training, also due to an ankle problem.

Klopp addressed the media on Friday, where he outlined the New Year's Eve clash against Manchester City as the return date "everyone is dreaming of" with regard to Coutinho, via This Is Anfield:

It seems likely Georginio Wijnaldum will retain his place in midfield alongside Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana as a result.

Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo provided a transcript of the press conference in question, where Klopp gave an update on Matip's fitness and where the centre-back is in his recovery:

"

He is better and better and better. It is not the same injury (as Coutinho) but it is in the same region. We could have tried to bring him back in the Everton game but it would have been a 95% probability he would be out for the next game.

So we decided to give him the time he needed to really settle. He's had these problems a few weeks and it was always close, next game probably. We tried everything but you have to accept how it is. It is not possible if he is not 100% comfortable.

I spoke with him and he was very positive but he is out already a few days of training and as long as we have other players in training all the time we will choose them.

"

Walsh also reported Daniel Sturridge returned to training ahead of the Stoke fixture, although Divock Origi seems likely to keep his place after Klopp said of the former on Friday: "How could he be [as] fit as the other players? That's not possible."

Klopp will also be glad to have Marko Grujic back among his ranks in the near future after the Serbian posted an update on his fitness, having returned to training last week following a tendon injury, via Bleacher Report's Jack Lusby:

On Stoke's side, Marko Arnautovic is the big absence and will serve the second match of his three-game suspension after seeing red against Southampton, meaning Mame Biram Diouf may deputise out wide again on Tuesday.

There is bright news for the Potters, however. Hughes confirmed on Friday that Ibrahim Afellay could end his eight-month injury absence at Anfield after recovering from a serious knee ligament injury, per the Mirror's Sean Taylor:

"

Ibi played last Friday and came through the game strongly, so he is now back in the squad and available for selection.

I am delighted he has come back as strongly as he has because he suffered a really bad injury.

He looks like the old Afellay which is tremendous because usually when players come back they are a little apprehensive. I have no qualms including him now.

"

Stephen Ireland is a long-term absence for the Potters after breaking his leg back in May, per MailOnline's Chris Wheeler, and won't feature until next year.

Hughes confirmed last week defenders Phil Bardsley and Geoff Cameron will be missing for some weeks, while ESPN FC's Ben Dinnery reported Marc Muniesa could be available, although there's no comeback for goalkeeper Jack Butland just yet:

Predicted Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Simon Mignolet; Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner, Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan; Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana; Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Divock Origi

Predicted Stoke City XI (4-2-3-1): Lee Grant; Glen Johnson, Erik Pieters, Bruno Martins Indi, Ryan Shawcross; Glenn Whelan, Giannelli Imbula; Joe Allen, Mame Biram Diouf, Xherdan Shaqiri; Jonathan Walters

Preview

Stoke's Premier League record against Liverpool stands as an impressive one, losing just seven of their 16 encounters since the division was rebranded in 1992, although they've won just four of those meetings.

Their recent record doesn't make for impressive reading, though, considering the Potters have lost five of their last six league encounters with the Reds. That said, Klopp is taking nothing for granted, per the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe:

Another big talking point coming into the Christmas clash will be Joe Allen's return to Anfield as an altogether more valued member of the Stoke squad since leaving Liverpool for the Bet365 Stadium this past summer.

The Welshman completed a £13 million move to Stoke and is now excelling in his new setting, leaving Klopp to admit his side "miss" the character, who simply couldn't crack the competition on Merseyside, via This Is Anfield:

Allen has scored five goals and recorded two assists in 16 Premier League outings this season, arguably painting himself as Stoke's player of the campaign thus far.

Despite his past allegiances to the Anfield hosts, he'll hope to bring about an underdog victory when Stoke travel to Merseyside in a bid to remind his former employers of what they're missing.