Cody Gakpo is still a doubt for Liverpool when they face Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, with the Dutchman missing three days of training.
Gakpo made the trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the week despite having missed training in the buildup, but was not named in the 23-man squad on the night.
That came after a knock to the winger’s ankle, aggravating a previous injury, with no risks taken over his long-term fitness during an impressive campaign.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Southampton, Arne Slot admitted doubt over Gakpo’s availability having still yet to train.
“He didn’t train yesterday, so let’s see if he can train with us today,” he explained.
“Again [it will be a] close call. It’s not a long-term injury, but he still had a bit of pain yesterday so he was not able to train.
“Let’s see where he is today. I can’t give you the answer yet.”
Liverpool are without Joe Gomez (hamstring) and Tyler Morton (shoulder) for Saturday’s 3pm kickoff, while Conor Bradley (hamstring) is closer to a return.
Slot is likely to make a number of changes from the side who put everything into their 1-0 win over PSG, with the likes of Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez contenders to come into the lineup.
PARIS, FRANCE - Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott (hidden) celebrates with team-mates after scoring the winning goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg game between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC at the Parc des Princes. Liverpool won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“For me, the one against Southampton is by far the most important. Not only because it’s the first one we play,” he said of Liverpool’s crucial three games in nine days, including the PSG decider and the Carabao Cup final.
“If I make the choice to play other players, that is because I think that’s the biggest chance to win the game tomorrow and not because I want to rest them for the game against Paris Saint-Germain.
“The only way I make a change is maybe, because it’s only two days in between, I might feel playing someone else is a better option, because we have many players who have equal quality.
“That only has to do with getting a bigger chance of winning the game against Southampton.”