Liverpool Face Triple Injury Blow as Arne Slot Sounds Alarm Before Crucial Week

Arne Slot cautioned that the physical condition of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Joe Gomez requires careful observation, disclosing that none of these players can handle playing complete 90-minute matches three times within a single week.

Gomez completed the entire fixture against West Ham United on Sunday, marking his first Premier League starting appearance in 336 days. Isak was substituted after 68 minutes while Wirtz featured for 75 minutes—which Slot disclosed exceeded the medical team's recommendations.

Liverpool welcome Sunderland on Wednesday before making trips to Leeds and then Milan for two fixtures within a four-day period. The Reds subsequently face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, Dec. 13 before enjoying the comparative relief of a week-long interval.

Slot remained deliberately vague regarding the condition of the three players mentioned ahead of this week's Premier League encounter. "We'll assess how the players respond after today's training session," the Dutch manager cautioned. "Wirtz has been absent from training for nearly two weeks, so getting match time is beneficial for him, but we'll evaluate. The same applies to Joe Gomez.

"It was positive to witness Wirtz perform so effectively. While it may have been the first time for others to see this, I've already observed him excel for us previously. It was excellent for Alex [Isak] to net his inaugural goal, but he couldn't continue for additional minutes as he informed me he was experiencing some cramping. So he's another player whose condition we'll monitor during today's training.

"They cannot handle three complete 90-minute matches within a week, but all three can participate provided they avoid injury."

Slot's fitness assessment provided him sufficient flexibility to ensure opportunities for additional rotation this week. Following criticism for excluding Mohamed Salah over the weekend, the pressured tactician might reintroduce the Egyptian to prevent overworking Wirtz or Isak, both of whom have encountered fitness challenges following their substantial summer transfers.

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Significant Injury Recovery for Leeds Match

Slot expressed optimism that Conor Bradley would be "ready" for Liverpool's journey to Leeds United on Saturday evening.

"Conor joined team training yesterday for the initial time," the Dutch manager informed gathered reporters on Tuesday. "Not everything was at 100% capacity yet, so we needed to carefully manage his involvement. The positive aspect is that he has participated with the squad."

Bradley has been absent from Liverpool's previous three matches due to a muscular issue, perpetuating the ongoing pattern of injury problems throughout his career. Since his Liverpool debut under Jürgen Klopp in January 2024, the attacking right-back has been compelled to miss 34 matches, all due to muscle-related injuries.