Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is facing his most significant tactical test yet, as a mounting injury crisis threatens to derail the Reds’ preparations for this Sunday’s high-stakes trip to face bitter North West rivals Manchester United.
The trip to Old Trafford is always a highlight of the footballing calendar, but for the Dutchman, the timing of this latest fitness slump couldn’t be worse. With the race for the Champions League reaching its climax, the Reds could be missing up to nine senior players for the clash against Michael Carrick’s side.
With the race for European spots heating up and the spotlight intensifying on the club’s recent form, Slot must now piece together a starting eleven capable of silencing the Stretford End while missing several key pillars of his title-winning squad.
The Dutchman has really been delivered with some horrible injury luck as of late, but even with a lack of first-choice goalkeepers at his disposal last time out versus Crystal Palace, the Merseyside giants secured a big 3-1 victory, to leave them only needing five points from their remaining four Premier League fixtures of the season to clinch Champions League football for next season.
Poor away form will also trouble the under-fire Dutchman, heading into this contest at Old Trafford, with the Reds only winning one of their last five outings on the road. He will take some solace away from that rare away win, however, as Liverpool battled well throughout to pick up a 2-1 win in the Merseyside Derby.
Hopefully, the drama and grit from that win are also on display at the Theatre of Dreams.
Still, Michael Carrick’s hosts will be an even sterner test than the Toffees, with the Red Devils – who occupy third spot in the league at the time of writing – only coming unstuck once across their last five Premier League contests.
He has his own mountain of injury issues to worry about, though, in a game that is being billed as huge for both Carrick and Slot, according to ex-United defender Gary Neville.
United injury issues ahead of Liverpool
Seeking to turn a corner, Liverpool head into this contest eyeing a crucial three points to prove their recent slump is a thing of the past.
They’ll be boosted by some injury concerns for the hosts, with Matheus Cunha not featuring whatsoever for the Red Devils during their 2-1 Monday night victory over Brentford.
Absent due to a hip flexor issue, it will be intriguing to see if the Brazilian does feature in some capacity when the Reds make the short trip over to Manchester, with Cunha up to eight goals and four assists for the season after a major £62.5m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Alongside Cunha potentially being out, Carrick will definitely not be able to select either Matthijs de Ligt or Lisandro Martinez for this heated clash, with the Dutchman suffering from a back injury, and Martinez will be out owing to suspension.
While Carrick will feel somewhat uneasy heading into the full-blooded match on Sunday, with slight injury and suspension issues bugging him, Slot could be without nine players in total for the game at Old Trafford, with an injury crisis beginning to mount at Anfield.
All of Liverpool’s injury issues
Hugo Ekitike – Achilles
Hugo Ekitike won’t feature whatsoever against Liverpool’s arch nemesis, with the Frenchman unlikely to return until 2027, due to a Ruptured Achilles tendon picked up against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg.
This is a real blow to the Reds, as the Frenchman had managed to pick up 17 goals for the season before having his campaign horrifically cut short.
Giorgi Mamardashvili – Wound
Giorgi Mamardashvili will remain out of Slot’s first team plans, too, for Sunday, as he’s a couple of weeks away from being back to full fitness, after suffering a nasty wound in the Merseyside Derby, when Beto equalised for the Toffees.
Wataru Endo – Ankle
Wataru Endo is also in the Anfield treatment room, currently, due to an ankle injury he sustained versus Sunderland earlier in the year.
However, Slot has spoken encouragingly about the forgotten midfielder, with the Japanese battler perhaps ready to feature, again, before the season is out, ahead of the approaching World Cup for his nation.
Conor Bradley – Knee
Conor Bradley continues to be a long-term absentee for Liverpool, with the young defender not expected back in the matchday squad any time soon.
The Northern Irishman is still navigating a lengthy road to recovery following a knee injury sustained at the turn of the year. Having been out of action since the start of January, Bradley remains unavailable for selection as the Reds’ medical staff continue to monitor his rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre.
Giovanni Leoni – ACL
Giovanni Leoni has been spotted back on the grass for the Reds, but much like Bradley, he won’t be seen at all across the last four Premier League fixtures to come, as he recovers from a terrible anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Jayden Danns – Hamstring
Another promising youngster stricken by injury at the moment is Jayden Danns.
Danns is hotly tipped to be the next best thing from the homegrown production line at Anfield, but he will likely be out of action for the rest of the season, as well, as he nurses a hamstring concern.
Stefan Bajcetic – Hamstring
Stefan Bajcetic has become a neglected youth star; in contrast, as the Spaniard hasn’t featured whatsoever for the Reds this campaign, due to a concerning hamstring ailment.
Alisson Becker – Doubt
Unlike those who are resigned to watch on from the stands due to serious injuries, Alisson could be back in between the sticks for the Reds at the weekend.
Indeed, Slot had mentioned that he hoped he would have the trusty Brazilian back as his number one keeper very soon, with Freddie Woodman no doubt having to be selected again, if the South American were to fail a fitness test.
Mohamed Salah – Doubt
While Alisson is a minor doubt, Mohamed Salah is very unlikely to feature at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Pulling up with a hamstring concern against Crystal Palace, the anxiety engulfing Anfield would have been that he’d played his last ever minutes for the club against the Eagles.
Thankfully, good news has come to the surface surrounding Salah, with it confirmed that he will feature again this season, but this Red Devils clash will surely come too soon for the beloved Liverpool winger, even if he is thought of as being superhuman on Merseyside.
Arne Slot is set to face the media at the AXA Training Centre on Friday morning at 9:00 AM (BST).
The Liverpool head coach will provide the definitive latest on a squad currently decimated by fitness issues. All eyes will be on the Dutchman as he provides updates on several key stars.
With a Champions League spot within touching distance, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If Slot can mastermind a result in Manchester despite the horrible luck handed to him, it won’t just be three points; it will be a definitive statement that his tenure can withstand even the most brutal of injury crises.
For the travelling Kop, the hope is that the spirit of the Merseyside Derby travels down the M62 to help bridge the gap left by their missing stars.
