Liverpool boss Arne Slot revealed that right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold could miss the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United on Sunday, after sustaining an injury in the Champions League defeat to Paris-Saint Germain.
Newcastle will be undergoing full preparation for their Carabao Cup final this weekend after securing a much-needed win in the Premier League against West Ham United on Monday evening.
The Magpies took all three points from their first visit of the week to the capital and will be hopeful that the confidence gained from the 1-0 victory can put them in a great position to compete with the league leaders,, Liverpool, on Sunday.
Newcastle have not had the easiest ride since qualifying for their chance at silverware at Wembley Stadium this weekend, with injuries and suspensions plaguing the first team recently.
Dutch defender Sven Botman will not be available for the clash, it has been confirmed that he will undergo surgery to remove fluid from his knee after carrying a problem for a few weeks and is likely to return just before the end of the season.
Breakout star Lewis Hall will also be unavailable due to injury and will be undergoing surgery just like Botman, however, his foot injury is slightly more serious, and the club has officially confirmed that he will not feature again this season due to a longer recovery period.
The third and final blow to Newcastle’s silverware dreams was the red card suspension earned by Anthony Gordon, the Liverpool-born winger who lost his temper in a clash with Jan Paul van Hecke during the FA Cup defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion will be on the second of his three-match ban for the Carabao Cup final.
Losing the entire left side of the starting eleven is undoubtedly a massive blow for the Geordies, especially when they have to face a Liverpool side that has suffered just one league defeat this season under Arne Slot.
However, the Merseyside giants now have a huge blow of their own as one of their star players is now looking unlikely to be fit for the final, with Trent Alexander-Arnold hobbling off the pitch and down the tunnel during the latter stages of their defeat at Anfield last night.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot delivered the blow to hopes that the right-back could have just been suffering with something minor, speaking to the media following their Champions League knock-out:
“With Trent, he had to come off. That’s never a good sign,” he said.
“From what I heard from people who 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.”
Who will play on the left for Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final?
There is no doubt that Alexander-Arnold is one of the biggest attacking threats for Liverpool and his partnership with Mohamed Salah is crucial to the way the league leaders operate and relentlessly break down teams.
Considering Newcastle predicament on the left flank, this injury to Alexander-Arnold puts Newcastle in a potentially advantageous position as they have multiple injury concerns to those who rotate with the right-back.
Conor Bradley is currently out with a muscle injury and not expected back until the end of March, while the experienced Joe Gomez is also in recovery for a hamstring injury and not expected to return until May.
Last night, Newcastle transfer target Jarell Quansah took on Alexander-Arnold’s role and is the likely option for Slot on Sunday, which given his minimal experience does relieve the pressure on the makeshift left-side that Eddie Howe is having to develop for the Carabao Cup final.
There are a few options that the Newcastle boss can go for on the left side, with Brazilian sensation Joelinton more than capable to handle the left winger role in the absence of Gordon.
However, against West Ham, Harvey Barnes was the chosen left winger though it is unclear as to whether he will continue in that role for the final on Sunday, but it is definitely a strong option for the Magpies, considering Liverpool’s weakened right-back role.
With that being said, it will be intriguing to see how Howe approaches the final and whether that will change given Liverpool’s fresh injury issues.