Liverpool face Marseille in the Champions League and the Reds boss may have to rotate one player to avoid injury.
Assess Liverpool's injury list and it is looking healthier.
Arne Slot knows that recent results have not been good enough. While the Reds might be on a 12-match unbeaten streak, the Anfield head coach is well aware that his side have fallen short in several of those games - most recently the 1-1 draw at Burnley.
If there is some mitigation, it's been that he has been short of players at times. For the 2-2 stalemate at Fulham, Liverpool were missing Mo Salah, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. Over the Christmas period, Florian Wirtz was carrying a hamstring issue.
As things stand, Liverpool have just three members of their squad on the treatment table. Isak won't play for a couple of months as he recovers from a broken leg, while Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni won't play again this term because of respective knee injuries.
Following Bradley's blow he sustained in a goalless draw at Arsenal, it leaves Liverpool short defensively. It appears unlikely that the Reds will use the January transfer window to try to ease their position, though. Slot must use what is at his disposal for the remainder of the campaign.
Jeremie Frimpong is now first-choice right-back in the absence of Bradley. However, the summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has had fitness woes of his own. Frimpong has had two hamstring issues since his arrival. It means that he'll have to be carefully managed.
Despite his impressive recent form, Frimpong could well find himself among the substitutes for the Champions League encounter against Marseille. The Netherlands international played 90 minutes against Burnley and, therefore, could be rested at the Stade Velodrome.
Joe Gomez has played in the position a total of 109 times in his Liverpool career and is the next option. Yet, with Ibrahima Konate not training, Gomez could be required to operate in the middle of defence.
As a result, Dominik Szoboszlai could be forced to be deployed as a makeshift full-back once again. It’s widely concurred that the Hungary international has been the Reds’ best performer this term and his best position is in the middle of the park. Injuries have meant he’s played on the right-hand side of the rearguard five times - including the 1-0 win over Inter Milan at the San Siro last month, in which he netted the late penalty to secure three points.
Speaking after the 4-1 FA Cup win over Barnsley, with Frimpong and Szoboszlai scoring, Slot confessed that the latter may need to come to Liverpool’s aid while Bradley is sidelined. Slot said: “I hope you guys know I don't like to play Dominik Szoboszlai as a right full-back. Jeremie Frimpong has to play a lot of minutes. He comes back from an injury, missed out 3-4 months of a lot of playing time so I liked him as well, by the way, today.
“But I have to make sure he is able play at the weekend and then we go to Marseille and then Bournemouth. It's nine games in January with six defenders available. I have to manage him in the right way and give enormous compliments to the players who are fit that we are 11 games unbeaten.”
Frimpong could well keep his spot against Marseille, although that would mean it’s unlikely that he features at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday. Yet there is a chance that Szoboszlai has to operate in defence at the Stade Velodrome like he did successfully at the San Siro.
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