Jaissle offers fitness update on Dedic, Livramento, Joelinton, Burn & Miley for Liverpool clash

by Olly Hawkins · Published 20 August 2026, 16:46

Matthias Jaissle has been speaking to the media at St James' Park in the last few moments, holding a press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against Liverpool.

The Reds also have a new man in the dugout, with Andoni Iraola leaving Bournemouth to take over at Anfield following Arne Slot's departure.

A tough test awaits for Jaissle, who kicked off his 4.30pm presser by offering an update on availability ahead of this weekend's game.

Dedic boost, two ruled out

Jaissle has confirmed that new signing Amar Dedic is "ready" to play against Liverpool this weekend, just days after his £29.5m switch from Benfica.

Discussing the 24-year-old, who has been praised for his versatility, the German boss said:

“Amar is a perfect fit and addition to the squad. He can play both full-back positions.
"He knows our playing style due to our time in Salzburg. That is always beneficial. I am confident he is ready.”

Dedic's arrival is even more timely considering Tino Livramento's injury-hit pre-season, with Jaissle revealing that it's "too early" for the England international, who only just returned to first-team training this week.

Joelinton is still a "couple of weeks" away, although Jaissle is confident the Brazilian won't be out for too long.

"It is too early to say on Tino, he was partially involved, but we need to be smart with his progress now. We need to wait until he is 100% fit.
"Joelinton is out for a couple of weeks. I am really confident that he will be back as soon as possible."

Jaissle to check on Burn and Miley

Dan Burn returned late after an extended post-World Cup break, while Lewis Miley has been managing his comeback from a leg fracture in May.

As a result, the pair have only played 45 minutes each in pre-season, coming in last weekend's double header at St James' Park, and Jaissle insists we must be "smart" with their load managemnt.