Arne Slot reveals two Liverpool players are doubts v Man City but key man set to return
Liverpool are set to be without at least four players at the weekend, but that could increase to six.
Liverpool could be without two key players for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City.
Ibrahima Konate and Connor Bradley had to be replaced in the midweek Champions League win over Real Madrid, and Slot said ahead of the City match that he remains uncertain whether they’ll be back in time.
“They are still being assessed so it’s difficult to say where they are in terms of the injuries,” the Dutchman said in his pre-match press conference, which was unusually held on a Thursday.
“Let’s wait and see but it is never a good sign if players… Conor, I had to take him off and Ibou didn’t walk off the pitch as he should have after such a fantastic game that he played. He should have made a round [of the pitch] and clapped the fans but unfortunately he couldn’t so that’s not a good sign.
“They are still being assessed and it is so close after the game yesterday night, and I just came off the training pitch. So, I can’t tell you exactly where they are, so we have to wait and see where they are this weekend and after that.”
Meanwhile, Slot revealed Trent Alexander-Arnold will be available to start after he was deemed not fit enough to come off the bench against Madrid. Liverpool remain without the injured Alisson, Konstas Tsimikas, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota for Sunday’s game.
City travel to Anfield on the back of a run of six games without a win, and given it’s a ground Pep Guardiola has traditionally found difficult, some have suggested it could be a straightforward three points for the Merseyside club.
That’s not how Slot views it. “I don't think anyone in the last eight or nine years - or even longer - would have said that City at home or away [is] easy,” he said.
“They are still a very good team. One of the reasons why I think Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world is he always comes up with solutions.
“His problem now might be that Rodri is out but we all know, at least I think, he will come up with a [solution and] that their form will come again - hopefully after Sunday.”