Liverpool have been given a boost as Mohamed Salah nears a return to fitness. The Reds are preparing to face Manchester City in an FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
The historic cup competition marks one of the club’s last opportunities to earn silverware this season and having Salah available would improve Liverpool’s chances of advancing to the next round. The Egypt international was absent from the team’s last match against Brighton after being taken off during their Champions League victory over Galatasaray.
Following the international break, the 33-year-old is in contention to face City at the Etihad Stadium. Liverpool boss Arne Slot explained how Salah quickly eased fears over the expected timeline for his injury.
When asked how near Salah is to being fit, Slot said: "Close, very close. Another example of what makes him special because the moment he got injured there was a bit of a situation where they thought, 'I don't think he's available for City.'
“But Mo looked at me and said, 'I think I will be available for City.' He just does so much for his body for such a long time that he recovers so fast.
“So, he will train with the team again tomorrow and if everything works well then he's available to be with us at City."
However, Liverpool were dealt a blow while some of their squad were away on international duty. Full-back Jeremie Frimpng was forced off after just 12 minutes of action for the Netherlands on Tuesday.
It could leave Slot with a difficult decision for the City game after Frimpong suffered an injury setback shortly after being introduced as a half-time substitute against Ecuador. The Liverpool manager provided an update on Frimpong’s condition upon his return to the club.
"Jeremie, the national team doctor of the Netherlands tells us that it was precautionary that they took him out,” he said. “But he will have a scan later today to see.”
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker missed Liverpool’s defeat to Brighton last time out and is not expected to return for the FA Cup tie with City. Meanwhile, winger Federico Chiesa withdrew from Italy’s squad ahead of his country’s failed World Cup play-off campaign but has made positive strides in his recovery.
Slot continued: "Alisson will be out for a bit longer. And Federico indeed came back from the national team, where he wasn't able to play.
“But he trained with us today, so he will train with us tomorrow again and will be available for the game on the weekend."
Alexander Isak is expected to return to training later this week, having been sidelined with a leg injury since December. Defender Giovanni Leoni remains a long-term absentee with a serious knee injury but the young defender did share pictures of himself back on the grass during the international break.
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