Alisson Becker is expected to make his comeback from injury as Liverpool takes on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend, having been missing since the Champions League defeat against Galatasaray in September.
However, there was less promising news across the board for Liverpool ahead of its return to Premier League action. Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley have picked up muscle injuries and are not going to feature at Anfield.
It remains to be seen exactly how long the former will be out. Wirtz is set to be absent for less time than Bradley, though, with the Northern Ireland captain likely to miss around three weeks.
Unfortunately for Arne Slot, Jeremie Frimpong will not be back before then either, leaving him short of options at right-back. Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones could fill in, in addition to Joe Gomez.
Gomez, however, has not played much soccer recently. With two games per week coming up, he will not be able to play every minute without the risk of him picking up an issue.
Giovanni Leoni is the only other player sidelined at the moment. He will be out for the remainder of the season with the ACL injury that he sustained against Southampton in the League Cup.
Arne Slot during a Liverpool press conference.
Arne Slot during a Liverpool press conference. (Image: Liverpool FC/YouTube)
Alexander Isak, meanwhile, is still working his way back up to full fitness after a setback. Arriving from Newcastle United on deadline day, Liverpool is yet to see the best of the Swede.
Isak played only a third of a game for his country during the international break. In the second match, he was not risked by Graham Potter in case he picked up a booking, which would have earned him a suspension for the first leg of March's World Cup play-offs.
Fit again, though, Isak is expected to be on the bench for the weekend's visit of Nottingham Forest. He could feature plenty in the weeks to come, potentially alongside Hugo Ekitike.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Liverpool FC 2025/26 kits
"I think I've said many times already that at this moment of time we are not even thinking or talking about [the title race]," Slot said.
"Actually, we didn't do this last season as well when we were top of the league. It's just about the next game. I've said many times last season and I say this this season again as well, the best way to judge a league table is after 38 games.
"But the next best thing, in my opinion, is after 19 games. Let's see where we are then."
Liverpool.com says: Losing Wirtz, just when an easier run of games is coming up, is far from ideal for his integration. Being without Bradley, too, is going to cause a real headache for Slot. Without the pair, his options are very much limited.