Jeremie Frimpong will not be fit to face Newcastleplaceholder image
Jeremie Frimpong will not be fit to face Newcastle | Getty Images
Arne Slot has confirmed the latest fitness levels of his team ahead of their clash against Newcastle United.
Arne Slot is already resorting to makeshift options in his starting lineup following the latest Liverpool injury setbacks.
While the Reds only have two injuries to report, they are in the same position. Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley are the two players in question, while Joe Gomez has also missed three days of training in a row.
Tensions are guaranteed to be high between the two fanbases, and after a less than desirable defensive performance against Bournemouth, being without a natural right-back will be a huge blow for the Premier League champions.
Liverpool latest injury news
Slot provided an update on Liverpool’s latest fitness issues, admitting it was a ‘good call’ to take Frimpong off against Bournemouth after the medical team noticed there was an issue with his hamstring.
The summer signing and new first choice right-back will not be available to face Newcastle. He is expected to return to action following the international break.
Bradley may also be unavailable to face the Magpies, having struggled with his fitness recently. Slot confirmed the 22-year-old ‘trained for a few minutes’ on Thursday. While the manager has until Monday to finalise his selection, it may come too early for Bradley, with the risk of reinjury lurking.
Slot continued: “We only have at the moment two injuries, unfortunately it is two for the same position. But the good thing is some others can play in that position as well. Wata [Endo] played in that position for a few minutes, Dominik Szoboszlai already played in that position.
“So, there are other options we can explore. Joe Gomez is definitely one of them, but for him to play already 20 minutes, that was already quite a lot. I wouldn’t say he had a setback but he wasn’t able to train three days in a row completely with the team.
“Which is completely normal if you’re out for so long and all of a sudden the manager needs you for 20 minutes. But he is training with the team, so let’s see where he is on Monday, if he can be involved in the team or if he can even start.”
Workhorse Wataru Endo could start at right-back for Liverpool
If all three mentioned defenders are unavailable to face Newcastle, Slot will need to call upon someone to play out position to fill the gap on the right-hand side.
As he mentioned, Slot has previously deployed Endo and Szoboszlai at right-back. The latter is a regular starter in midfield and is relied on to boost attacking play, so opting for Endo in defence may be the answer to this current injury issue. The Japan international has also said himself he is happy to play anywhere Liverpool need him to be.
“I can play as a six, at right-back or at centre-back — I don’t mind and I will just always give 100 percent to the team. I used to play centre-back when I was in Japan, so I don’t mind where I play for Liverpool,” he told the club’s official eMagazine earlier this month.
Despite being a regular starter under Jurgen Klopp, Endo has become more of a fringe player since Slot’s arrival. However, his attitude toward his situation makes him a huge asset to the team and every time he steps onto the pitch, he puts in a solid performance. As a physical player, Liverpool will need someone like Endo to match the energy of similar players like Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes in what promises to be a dramatic showdown at St James’ Park.
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