Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong injury update after Dominik Szoboszlai was sent-off for Liverpool in the 2-1 loss to Man City.
Arne Slot admitted he does not expect Joe Gomez to be available for Liverpool’s next game after losing another right-back option.
The Reds suffered a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City at Anfield as they snatched defeat from the jaws of defeat at Anfield. Dominik Szoboszlai’s 74th-minute free-kick delivered Liverpool a deserved breakthrough but they could not hold on.
Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors seven minutes later and then Erling Haaland dispatched a 93rd-minute penalty to flip the game on its head. In the dying embers, Rayan Cherki thought he’d put the gloss on the win when scoring into an empty net, with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker out of his net in pursuit of an equaliser.
But VAR intervened to disallow the goal, with a free-kick instead awarded as Szoboszlai pulled back Haaland to deny a goalscoring opportunity. Szoboszlai was subsequently issued a red card.
Szoboszlai, who deputised at right-back with Jeremie Frimpong (groin) and Conor Bradley (knee) sidelined, must serve a one-match ban and will miss the trip to Sunderland on Wednesday evening.
Gomez missed a third successive game against City because of a hip issue. And Slot admitted that he does not expect the versatile defender to be able to feature at the Stadium of Light. And even if Gomez is able to make the trip to Sunderland, he is unlikely to start after his absence.
Liverpool head coach Slot said: “Jeremie for sure not. We knew this when he got injured that was a few weeks. To be honest, I don’t expect Joe to be back as well but you never know. But then he’s back after being out for three [games].
“Would you play him? You say no but you don’t have to make the decision, I have to make the decision. Let’s see what decision we make. We have other players who can play that position as well. Dom played a very good game in that position but, unfortunately, he’s not available for us.”
Szoboszlai’s absence means that another midfielder will deputise at right-back against Sunderland. When Frimpong was forced off in a 6-0 loss to Qarabag in the Champions League, Wataru Endo was used in the position. However, Curtis Jones has featured in the role at times last season and this campaign.
Calvin Ramsay is an out-and-out right-back but has remained out of favour despite Liverpool’s issues in the position. The one-cap Scotland international has made just one appearance this season, which was in a 3-0 Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace.
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