Image Credits: Imago Images
There is a true dilemma at right-back for Liverpool heading into February and beyond. The crisis began on January 8 when Conor Bradley suffered a devastating knee injury against Arsenal – significant bone and ligament damage that required surgery and will keep the Northern Irish youngster out for the rest of the season.
The situation then escalated dramatically this week when Jeremie Frimpong limped off just four minutes into Wednesday’s 6-0 Champions League demolition of Qarabag with a groin injury.
While the initial prognosis suggested a potentially season-ending setback, Slot confirmed Friday that the Dutch international will be sidelined for “a few weeks”. better than feared, but still catastrophic timing. Frimpong’s absence compounds an already dire situation, leaving Liverpool without a single recognized right-back available for Saturday’s crucial Premier League clash against Newcastle United.
Against Newcastle, Slot is likely to deploy midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai or Wataru Endo as an emergency right-back – a solution that feels dangerous against Champions League-chasing opposition trailing by just three points.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has addressed the situation, and claimed that Liverpool will not rush into a right-back signing just for the sake of it.
“On Liverpool, let me add something,” Romano said on his YouTube channel on Thursday evening “I told you, emergency, because Jeremie Frimpong is injured, Conor Bradley is injured.”
“So, Liverpool, even today, internally had some conversations to check the right-back market. Liverpool are exploring some possibilities, they are looking at some right-backs but they believe there are not so many options of quality right-backs. They won’t sign a right-back just to sign a right-back.
“If they find a good solution they will go for it, otherwise they will stay with the current squad. This is the Liverpool position on the right-back. Let’s see how this check will go
The transfer window slams shut at 7pm GMT on Monday, February 2 – leaving Liverpool with mere days to address the emergency should they choose to.
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