Arne Slot can be expected to make changes for the visit of Sunderland, with Liverpool having played three days previous, and he named three players being monitored.
After a 2-0 win away to West Ham on Sunday, the Reds are back at Anfield on Wednesday night to host sixth-placed Sunderland.
Regis Le Bris’ side have been the surprise package of this season’s Premier League and cannot be underestimated, however Slot still has fitness in mind when it comes to his lineup during a run of five games in 14 days.
Questioned on the possibility of rotation during his pre-match press conference, the head coach took a “let’s see” approach.
Slot named Florian Wirtz, Joe Gomez and Alexander Isak as three players who would need to be carefully monitored due to their lack of game time prior to the weekend.
“Yesterday we had recovery and after this press conference we’re going to train, so let’s see how players feel,” he told reporters.
“Florian for example has missed out one-and-a-half, two weeks of training, so for him to already play so many minutes was a good thing.
“And in two days we have to play again. Joe Gomez is one of them [too]. So let’s see.
“It was encouraging to see Florian playing that well [against West Ham], but it’s not the first time he played well for us.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz challis challenged by West Ham United's Lucas Paquetá during the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“Maybe the first time other people noticed, but I’ve seen him playing well for us many times already.
“And for Alex to score his first goal is also very positive – also a player who couldn’t play I think five-to-10 more minutes than he played.
“He told me yesterday he felt a little bit of cramp coming up already, so another player who we should see how he does when he trains today.”
Wirtz, Gomez & Isak chances of starting vs. Sunderland
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, October 19, 2025: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC at Anfield. Man Utd won 2-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Asked whether it was a case of deciding which of the next two games – against Sunderland on Wednesday and Leeds on Saturday – Wirtz, Gomez and Isak should start, Slot suggested they could still start both.
“I think they’re not able to play three times 90 minutes, that’s for sure,” he conceded.
“And now I have to wait and see how they feel today, if they are able to play tomorrow from the start again.
“But that all three of them can be involved in all three games – if they don’t get an injury – that’s a fair assumption to make.”
Slot praises Gomez’s plug-in-and-play skillset
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates with team-mate Joe Gomez (L) after scoring the second goal during the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Gomez’s return to the side against West Ham was widely lauded, with the defender providing more stability at right-back as well as having a hand in both goals.
That it came in his first Premier League start in 11 months, his first appearance in any capacity since seven minutes off the bench against Man City and only his third start of the season made it all the more impressive.
“It’s a skillset he has, that after a long time not playing you can play him again and he just performs as he did before that,” Slot enthused.
“That’s something that’s not easy, because I’ve worked with more than a few players that, after a certain amount of time without playing, it’s difficult to get to a certain standard again.
“So it’s definitely one of his skillsets.
“I also think it was really helpful for him that Dominik Szoboszlai helped him out a lot, because Joe did really well but he got a lot of help as well.”
Conor Bradley could return to availability for the trip to Leeds on Saturday, while Jeremie Frimpong is also not far off his comeback.