The Liverpool head coach will head to Old Trafford lacking options, but he should be able to name a strong and experienced side for the penultimate away game of the season
07:00, 03 May 2026
Arne Slot Head Coach of Liverpool on the pitch before the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford on September 01, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Arne Slot will head to Old Trafford with several injury issues(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool approaches Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford nursing a number of injury woes.
The Reds could be without Alisson, who is still working his way back from a hamstring injury that has prevented him from featuring in the last seven Liverpool games. With Giorgi Mamardashvili also absent, Freddie Woodman could be handed a starting berth eight days on from his heroics against Crystal Palace.
In defense, Milos Kerkez was a surprise name to emerge as a possible injury doubt from Arne Slot’s pre-match press conference. The left-back has been struggling with a niggle this week that forced him to drop out of training.
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Should he miss out, Andy Robertson will likely continue at left-back. On the opposite flank, Curtis Jones earned praise from Slot on Friday due to his recent form, with the midfielder deputizing on the right side of a back four.
“I think he played twice a good game; against Palace, even better than against Everton, defensively I mean, then mainly, which makes sense because usually you improve by playing more in a certain position, getting more used to the players around you and to your position.”
Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will almost certainly start at center-back.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot looks on
Slot has several injury issues to deal with this weekend(Image: Getty Images)
Further forward, and the lack of options available to Slot could force him to deploy his tried-and-trusted midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
It’s in the attacking areas where Slot looks really light on options.
Mohamed Salah will miss out on a final Old Trafford trip due to the knock he suffered against Palace last week.
Reports have also suggested that Alexander Isak is a doubt, while Hugo Ekitike added his name to the list of long-term injury absentees last month.
If Isak is unavailable, Cody Gakpo will likely start in a central role, and Liverpool could turn to Jeremie Frimping and Florian Wirtz in the wide areas.
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“I think for me, it’s so clear; the development Florian has made throughout his Liverpool career, which has only been 10 months, is for me already very clear and obvious,” Slot said on Friday, as he predicted big things for Wirtz.
Rio Ngumoha is another option for the Liverpool boss, while Joe Gomez is the only other substitute from last week trusted enough by Slot to start.
Liverpool predicted starting XI: Woodman; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Frimpong, Gakpo, Wirtz.