Liverpool will be without Florian Wirtz for a second successive Premier League fixture, but Arne Slot‘s absences for West Ham‘s visit remain at seven.
The Reds were dealt a late blow last weekend when Wirtz pulled out of the starting XI after the warm-up with a back issue, the same one that keeps him sidelined on Saturday.
It is another untimely injury for Liverpool to deal with, but they are at least welcoming back one name off their absentee list, with Jeremie Frimpong declared available.
Liverpool Injury & Absentee List
|Player|Injury Type|Status|Expected Return|
|Jeremie Frimpong|Groin|Available|West Ham (H)|
|Florian Wirtz|Back|Unavailable|Unknown|
Wataru Endo Ankle Unavailable “A long time”
Alexander Isak Fibula Fracture Unavailable Late March
Conor Bradley Knee (Surgery) Unavailable Pre-season
Giovanni Leoni ACL (Surgery) Unavailable Next season
Stefan Bajcetic Hamstring Rehab March
Jayden Danns Hamstring Rehab March
“He trained with us a few times this week so he is available,” Slot said of his right-back on the eve of West Ham‘s visit.
The head coach did not elaborate on whether Frimpong will be in starting contention, but his return from a groin issue is a boost ahead of a run of seven games in 22 days.
As for Wirtz, the concern is the time frame for his return as Slot admitted he could not set a date for when we would see the No. 7 next.
“At this moment of time, no [there is not a return date],” he said. “And when I usually say that I do know that but I don’t want to share it. Now I honestly don’t know.”
It will be only the third Premier League game that Wirtz has missed since his £116 million summer transfer, but it could open the door for Curtis Jones to retain his place in the side.
The Scouser or Dominik Szoboszlai could still, however, be considered for the right-back role despite Frimpong’s return to the squad and Joe Gomez‘s availability.
Beyond the right-back position and exact makeup of his midfield, Slot has limited lineup possibilities when you also factor in his favoured players.
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Alexander Isak has yet to return to full training, with Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni all long-term absentees.
Jayden Danns, meanwhile, is making progress on his return from a serious hamstring injury but remains unavailable for selection.
Liverpool’s available squad vs. West Ham
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman
Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Nallo, Frimpong, Kerkez, Robertson, Ramsay
Midfielders: Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Nyoni
Forwards: Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo, Chiesa, Ngumoha, Morrison