Arne Slot is hopeful of having one Liverpool player back from injury in the coming week.
The Reds have a mostly fully-fit squad at their disposal amid a hectic period which sees them playing four matches in 10 days, with the only notable senior absentees being Giovanni Leoni (ACL), Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.
Lewis Steele reported on Monday that the latter is ‘back on the grass’ and aiming to be available in two weeks’ time, and his fellow right-back might be fit enough to feature before then.
In his press conference this morning ahead of Liverpool’s game against Sunderland on Wednesday night, Slot was asked for injury updates on the two right-backs.
Slot issues injury updates on Bradley and Frimpong
The Reds boss replied (via Liverpool Echo): “Conor got into a team training session yesterday for the first time. Everything is not 100% yet so we have to manage that, so don’t get your hopes up too soon.
“We expect the same with Jeremie next week. Unfortunately we play a lot of games, so he’ll miss a few. Hopefully Conor is available for Leeds [on Saturday].”
Conor Bradley could return from injury for Liverpool's match against Leeds on Saturday
(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Hopefully Bradley and Frimpong will soon be over their injury woes
With neither Bradley nor Frimpong available for tomorrow night, it seems quite likely that Joe Gomez will start at right-back against Sunderland, having excelled in that position in the 2-0 victory over West Ham at the weekend.
If the Northern Ireland international isn’t fit enough to start at Leeds on Saturday, hopefully our long-serving number 2 will be able to manage three games in a week, having played precious little football this season outside of the Carabao Cup.
Nevertheless, Bradley appears to be on the cusp of a timely comeback amid a frantic fixture period for Liverpool, and it appears that Frimpong won’t be long after him, with the latter potentially filling in on the right-hand side of attack once Mo Salah departs for the Africa Cup of Nations on 15 December.
We just hope that, once the right-back duo have returned to action, they won’t break down with injury any more this season, with both players having had their troubles in that regard in recent months.
The Northern Irishman has missed 59 matches since the start of the 2023/24 season, while the Netherlands international has already had two spells on the sidelines since his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Fingers crossed that neither of those tallies are topped up between now and the end of May.
You can watch Slot’s full pre-Sunderland press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: