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Arne Slot has provided an update on Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate’s injuries following their Champions League loss to PSG.
The Reds were knocked out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night on penalties. Just five days before their Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United, Liverpool were forced to play 120 minutes of football by last season’s semi-finalists.
And after a bruising night for the Reds, they head to Wembley with just two opportunities for silverware and potentially without one of their key players. As the latter stages of normal time ticked by, Alexander-Arnold landed awkwardly on the sidelines and was forced to leave the pitch.
The 26-year-old was unable to take part in the clash any further and Slot has ruled him a major doubt for Sunday’s final against Newcastle. Liverpool also ended the match without the services of Konate in defence, initially handing yet another worry for Slot to deal with, although the Dutchman has since revealed that he is less concerned about the French international.
Arne Slot on Alexander-Arnold and Konate injuries
Speaking post match about Alexander-Arnold and Konate, Slot said: "I have to ask but for me Ibou was more that he was tired than it was an injury. With Trent, he had to come off. That’s never a good sign.
"And from what I heard from people that saw the images or how he got injured, that didn’t look very good. So I would be surprised if he is available for Sunday."
With just five days to rest and recover from their clash with PSG before the trip to Wembley, Liverpool will have to pick themselves up from a disappointing European exit on home turf and go again with potentially tired and bruised bodies - but Slot doesn’t think his side will struggle with the quick turnaround: “The good thing is we play a final on Sunday, so mentally that's probably the best you can ask for, because this is what we are playing football for: to play finals,” Slot responded.
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“And then there are two-and-a-half weeks in between before we start the season again. And if we can play nine times with this intensity - and the ones we play at home with the same intensity from the fans as well - then I am really looking forward to the end of the season.”
Liverpool injury news
Alexander-Arnold’s absence on Sunday would create a big headache for Slot with Conor Bradley also sidelined through injury. Bradley is not set to return until after the international break with Jarrel Quansah, a centre-back by trade, deployed as an unnatural right-back on Tuesday night in place of the Three Lions man.
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Quansah was deployed at right-back at St James’ Park back in December but had a torrid night against Anthony Gordon before being replaced by Alexander-Arnold in a substitution that changed Liverpool's fortunes and almost delivered victory - but for Fabian Schar’s late equaliser.
Gordon will be a big miss for the Magpies on that side of the pitch, therefore, although Harvey Barnes enjoyed a solid night against West Ham on Monday as he grabbed an assist for Bruno Guimaraes’ winner at the London Stadium. Joe Gomez, meanwhile, will also miss out on Sunday with a hamstring injury.
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