Roberto Firmino cleared for Liverpool vs Chelsea after court case is pushed back by one day

The forward will now appear in court on February to face a drink-driving charge after his appeal to push back the court case was accepted

Samuel Lovett
Monday 30 January 2017 18:01 GMT
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Liverpool have been handed a boost that their star forward will be available to face Chelsea on Tuesday night
Liverpool have been handed a boost that their star forward will be available to face Chelsea on Tuesday night

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Roberto Firmino's impending court case has been pushed 24 hours enabling the Brazilian to feature in Liverpool's clash with league leaders Chelsea on Tuesday night.

The forward had been due to appear in court on January 31 after he was charged with a drink-driving offence on Christmas Eve.

But after the player's request to move the date was accepted by Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates Court, Firmino will now appear in court on February 1.

Last month, Merseyside Police confirmed that the 25-year-old had been arrested after his car was pulled over in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of December 24.

The club have yet to comment on the matter as they wait for the legal process to be concluded.

Firmino has played a key role in Liverpool's season so far, scoring nine goals for the side this season.

Manager Jurgen Klopp recently said that the forward is a "very, very important player for us."

Speaking after Liverpool's humbling by Wolves in the FA Cup, Klopp revealed that he had withdrawn the Brazilian on Saturday over fears of burnourt.

The 25-year-old was replaced by Daniel Sturridge after 65 minutes with the Reds trailing 2-0.

Klopp said he feared putting the forward at risk of injury due to the intensity of the January schedule.

“Even when the game is not in the direction I want I cannot ignore how often Roberto played this season," he said. "He plays nearly every time and he’s a very, very important player for us.

“So for me there was no chance to put him through (90 minutes) - then maybe we make a draw but then we have a problem with Roberto.

“We don’t have the number of players in this moment currently of this quality so that was the reason and that’s why we said ‘okay he starts and then another player can come on’.

“In my opinion I would be risking the fitness or health of the player."

The player has scored a total of 17 goals in 67 appearances since joining Liverpool from Hoffenheim for £29m in July 2015.

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