Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool head to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night knowing they can ill afford another misstep in an increasingly tight race for Champions League football. Arne Slot’s side were stung by a late Manchester City comeback at Anfield and now face a Sunderland team that has made a habit of bloodying the noses of the Premier League’s elite, particularly on home turf – where they are still to taste defeat at this term.
Much could hinge on how Slot patches up his right flank with Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley sidelined and Dominik Szoboszlai suspended, leaving the Reds to improvise again in a problem position.
But ahead of the clash, both sides are suffering with a few injuries:
Giovanni Leoni
Teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni is in the midst of a long-term recovery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on his Liverpool debut,
Alexander Isak
Summer signing Alexander Isak faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines having suffered a fractured leg before Christmas, with surgery confirming an absence of at least “a couple of months” as he works back towards full fitness.
Jeremie Frimpong
The right-back is out with a hamstring problem picked up in the Champions League win over Qarabag, with Arne Slot confirming post-Manchester City that he won’t feature at the Stadium of Light this Wednesday.
Conor Bradley
Conor Bradley is also unavailable after sustaining a significant knee injury at Arsenal in January, with Liverpool confirming he requires surgery and is not expected back until later in 2026.
Joe Gomez
The 28-year-old suffered a hip injury in a collision with Alisson Becker during the defeat at Bournemouth last month, with Slot likewise confirming that he does not expect him back for Wednesday evening.
Dominik Szobozlai
The Hungarian is a confirmed absentee after his red card vs Manchester City. It is only a one game suspension.
Granit Xhaka
The Sunderland skipper has been in rehab for an ankle injury sustained in mid-January.
Coach Regis Le Bris told the media over the weekend that he is still two weeks away from returning: “We don’t know yet on Granit. Probably two or three weeks. We’ll see according to his feeling and just wait a bit.”
Jocelin Ta Bi
January signing Jocelin Ta Bi arrived with some lingering fitness concerns and has since picked up a minor knock, with local reports indicating Sunderland will manage his minutes carefully in the short term rather than rushing him straight into Premier League action.
Bertrand Isidore Traoré
Bertrand Traoré is out with a knee injury sustained on international duty at AFCON, with Sunderland confirming the forward faces around four to six weeks on the sidelines and is not expected to feature until later in February at the earliest.
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