Liverpool vs Ipswich LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more today

Big day for Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk, who hits the 300-appearance milestone for the club.

In that time, Van Dijk has won 208 games, drawn 47 and lost 44. An incredible record for one of the league’s greatest ever defenders.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot may have lost only two matches all season but there are still occasions when he cannot impress his dad.

The Dutchman regularly calls his father Arend after matches but following the 2-1 midweek Champions League win over Lille, which extended their 100 per cent record in the competition to seven matches, Slot senior was not particularly impressed.

It would have been difficult to match the drama of the two goals in stoppage time which secured the Premier League leaders’ victory at Brentford last weekend but Slot’s dad felt the team should have been more adventurous against the Ligue 1 side.

However, Slot, whose remarkable maiden season has seen him win 26 of 33 matches with just one Premier League defeat, said patience will be important as he expects struggling Ipswich to pose a tough test at Anfield.

“It is difficult for fans and my father is a fan as well,” he said.

“When I called him after the game he says, ‘ah, it wasn’t as exciting as other games of Liverpool’ when he watched the game against Lille.

“I had to try to explain to him these games you can easily lose if you are starting to force all kinds of difficult balls but he’s not always agreeing with me then.”

Kieran McKenna has handed Jaden Philogene his debut in an Ipswich shirt following his move from Aston Villa earlier this month.

Can the tricky winger help throw a spanner in the works of Liverpool’s title push?

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Diaz, Salah, Gakpo.

Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Tsimikas, Danns, Quansah, Bradley.

Ipswich XI: Walton, Burns, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy, Phillips, Hutchinson, Philogene, Delap.

Subs: Muric, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Luongo, Taylor, Broadhead, Enciso, Hirst.

The XIs are imminent at Anfield. How much rotation will Arne Slot feel he needs?

Kieran McKenna says Ipswich are still in the market to improve their starting XI during the remainder of the January window.

Ipswich signed Julio Enciso on loan from fellow Premier League side Brighton on Thursday.

Manager McKenna insists any further signings will need to improve the starting line-up.

“We’ll have to wait and see. Look, we’ll go to the last day and try to improve the squad in any way possible,” he told reporters.

“We have enough depth in the squad. It’s only if we can add players who we think can have a really big impact on the starting XI or the matchday squad and improve us over the remaining games.

“If we can do that, we’ll do it. If that’s not possible we have good depth, everyone’s on board and everyone’s hungry.”

The Champions League win over Lille prompted high praise from visiting forward Jonathan David – and it’s hard to argue with the Canadian’s declaration:

Liverpool are having to find solutions, though, as teams figure out Slot’s style, as the manager articulated last weekend.

Liverpool haven’t had it all their own way of late, relying on their replacements to help them out of tough moments. But it goes to show the strength of a squad built over a long period – and one which Arne Slot is really beginning to hone…

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool vs Ipswich, a meeting of two clubs at either end of the Premier League table. Arne Slot’s hosts are top of the tree both domestically and in Europe and will bid to keep their title charge rolling against relegation-threatened visitors.

Kick off at Anfield is at 3pm GMT.