Liverpool return to action this weekend against Chelsea, as they hope to bounce back following a defeat to Manchester United, but the latest availability picture is hardly ideal for Arne Slot.
Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Alisson Becker were all absent from Wednesday’s training session, according to Sky Sports. The trio were absent from the squad for the weekend’s 3-2 loss at Old Trafford, and as of yet, none are guaranteed to make an immediate return to the starting lineup.
Ibrahima Konate and Giorgi Mamardashvili were also not seen amongst the squad during training, making the team even more depleted.
Prior to the game with the Red Devils, in the club’s latest official injury update, Slot said, “Ali hasn’t trained with us yet. (He is) very close to training with us, I have to hear today from the medical staff if he is able to train today or either tomorrow or otherwise the start of next week.”
As for Isak, Slot confirmed that he would miss the game against Michael Carrick’s side because of what the head coach described as a small injury, with the Reds hopeful he could potentially return this weekend.
Salah, meanwhile, had already been ruled out of the Old Trafford meeting a week before after limping off against Crystal Palace. In the build-up to the game, the Dutchman confirmed he would be back before the season concludes.
“Usually, he’s earlier fit than other players after a minor injury – because he has a minor injury. We expect him indeed to be back in the final part of the season.”
The trio are a huge miss for Liverpool as they play their penultimate home game of the season with plenty still on the line, in their quest for Champions League qualification.
The Egyptian King remains their most decisive attacker, while the Swede is expected to carry the major goals burden once Salah leaves. The Brazilian shot stopper is still the most trusted when pressure is highest.
The Blues trip to Anfield comes at a time when both clubs need results to end the season off well. Kopites have heard plenty from Slot about injuries this season, but that does not make the selection any less of a headache before a game the Reds badly need to control.
Ibrahima Konate and Giorgi Mamardashvili also missed out on Wednesday’s training session, which causes further alarm bells to sound, while long-term absentees, including Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, remain out. The Dutchman is missing a senior spine, which holds the team together in times of need.
However, there is still a small window for the current picture to improve before the sides meet on Saturday.
The club haven’t officially confirmed that the five players who missed training are definitely out of the game, and they have framed Salah and Isak’s issues as just minor, but the fact that they aren’t involved with the game so close is a warning sign rather than a positive step in the right direction.
The question remains of whether they can rejoin the squad before their tough test. If one or more can, the mood amongst the fans will begin to sweeten. If not, it will be another major match short of proven match-winners and with little margin for yet another flat afternoon.
Last Sunday saw a lot of shifts and changes from Slot regarding his team selection and tactical setup to get the best out of his team. Though this year, outside of Rio Ngumoha, academy players have had few opportunities. While some were named on the bench, none of them made a cameo outside the left winger.
The Dutch Head Coach will hold his pre-match press conference on Friday morning at 9 am BST to give the latest news regarding the players who missed training, though they will be desperately needed with the numbers plummeting in the squad.
