Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, applauds fans after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on January 08, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)placeholder image
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, applauds fans after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on January 08, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool team news ahead of the FA Cup third-round tie against Barnsley at Anfield.
Arne Slot has admitted that Jayden Danns is still yet to return to Liverpool training.
The striker is highly regarded by the Reds and has scored three goals in 10 first-team appearances. But Danns' injury issues over the past 18 months have hampered his promising progress.
He was loaned to Sunderland during the last January transfer window. Yet he did not make a single appearance in the second half of the 2024-25 season as the Black Cats were promoted to the Premier League.
Danns missed out on a place in Arne Slot's pre-season tour squad while he's managed just four appearances across all levels this campaign. The 19-year-old has been unavailable since the end of September of was forced to undergo hamstring surgery.
Liverpool are currently depleted of players ahead of the FA Cup third-round tie against Barnsley at Anfield. Mo Salah (AFCON), Alexander Isak (broken leg), Conor Bradley (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle), Giovanni Leoni (ACL) and Stefan Bajcetic (hamstring) are all ruled out. And there is no chance that Danns can play a part against the League One visitors.
Reds head coach Arne Slot said on Danns: "Not fit enough, no. Not even training, if I'm correct. One of the players that got a stress fracture because he was young and from what we've been told was a bit over-trained. That's why we are so careful with Rio Ngumoha, that he's two days a week off the pitch if that's possible, to not have that same situation with him. But Jayden is definitely not available in the short term."
Ekitike latest
Hugo Ekitike has missed Liverpool's past two matches because of a hamstring injury, most recently the 0-0 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal.
With Isak sidelined for the long term, the Reds have been without a recognised centre-forward. However, Ekitike - who has scored 11 goals since signing from Eintracht Frankfurt for up to £79 million last summer - could return to the squad against Barnsley. Slot added: "Hugo, that is not 100 per cent sure but we will do everything to have him available on Monday.”
Endo update
Endo is due to return to training this week, having not played since a 3-3 draw at Leeds United on 6 December. The midfielder will be absent for an eighth successive fixture.
Slot said: “I think if I am correct he might start to train one of these days, but he has been out for two months now, that's of course different to being out for one week. Alex [Isak] is not going to be back yet and Mo [Salah] played on Saturday.”
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