Liverpool
Liverpool face a fitness crisis at the worst possible time
Liverpool go into Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford with a growing injury list, testing Arne Slot‘s squad depth at a critical stage of the season. As reported via Liverpoolfc.com, Slot addressed the situation directly in his pre-match press conference, confirming that Mohamed Salah will miss the Manchester United clash after picking up a minor thigh injury during last weekend’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Slot confirmed Salah has a minor injury, and the club expect him back before the season ends, but not for Sunday’s fixture. Meanwhile, Alisson has missed seven games since picking up a muscular injury in the Champions League knockout tie against Galatasaray, and though Slot refused to rule him out against United, the Brazilian had not trained with the first team ahead of the game.
Hungarian full-back Milos Kerkez is also managing a niggle, though Slot expects him to be back in action soon. Liverpool have no suspended players for this fixture, but the sheer number of absentees paints a concerning picture heading into one of the season’s biggest remaining matches.
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Does Liverpool’s injury crisis actually expose a deeper squad-building problem under Slot?
Liverpool fans will point to bad luck, and fair enough, injuries happen. But the pattern across this season raises a harder question. Salah, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, and Andy Robertson account for 1,518 appearances for Liverpool, more than the rest of the squad combined, which means the club’s dependence on the same ageing core has never really changed.
Slot inherited a brilliant team, yet the squad behind those four remains thin in the moments that matter. Freddie Woodman’s performance against Crystal Palace certainly settled nerves about fielding a third-choice goalkeeper during such a crucial run, and that is genuinely impressive.
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However, relying on a third-choice keeper at Old Trafford, while your best attacker watches from home, reflects a recruitment strategy that still favours the elite few over genuine depth. Liverpool spent heavily this season, yet Hugo Ekitike suffered a serious Achilles injury requiring surgery, further thinning the forward options. The club cannot keep building around players in their mid-thirties without eventually facing this exact problem, a crucial away fixture missing its most important players. Slot is a fine coach, but even the best systems need bodies.