It’s not often we get a clear injury picture heading into a huge game, but Arne Slot has now given us exactly that ahead of Manchester City, and there’s a mix of relief and concern across the squad.
The headline news is that Mohamed Salah is closing in on a return just when we need him most.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Slot was optimistic about the Egyptian’s availability after his recent muscle issue.
He said: “Close, very close.”
That alone would’ve been encouraging, but the Dutchman then gave a deeper insight into what makes our No.11 so unique physically and mentally.
Slot added: “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.'”
It’s that mentality which has defined Salah’s Liverpool career, and it looks like it could give us a huge boost heading into the FA Cup clash.
However, the update around Jeremie Frimpong is far less certain after his early withdrawal for the Netherlands.
Slot confirmed: “Jeremie, the national team doctor of the Netherlands tells us that it was precautionary that they took him out. But he will have a scan later today to see.”
Given the defender has already missed 25 matches across four injury spells this season, that’s clearly one to watch closely.
While Salah’s return lifts us, the continued absence of Alisson Becker remains a serious concern.
Slot admitted: “Alisson will be out for a bit longer.”
That matters because we’ve already seen the impact his absence has had, with five defeats in six league games when Giorgi Mamardashvili has started, highlighting just how important our Brazilian goalkeeper is to the structure of the side.
There was at least some positive news elsewhere, with Federico Chiesa expected to be available after returning to training.
Slot said: “He trained with us today, so he will train with us tomorrow again and will be available for the game on the weekend.”
All things considered, it’s a mixed update, but with Salah pushing to return at exactly the right time, we’ve at least got one major weapon back as we head into a defining run of fixtures.
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