Liverpool Hit by Devastating Injury Crisis Before Crucial Nottingham Forest Clash
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed that the Merseyside club will be missing Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley when they host Nottingham Forest.
Both players featured for their respective nations during the recent international window, with Germany and Northern Ireland each pursuing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Wirtz helped Germany secure their spot by topping their group following a dominant 6-0 victory over Slovakia, while Bradley's Northern Ireland earned a playoff berth—they must now overcome Italy before potentially facing Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, these international successes have created complications for Liverpool, who are seeking consistency after encouraging performances against Aston Villa and Real Madrid were overshadowed by a disappointing defeat to Manchester City prior to the November international fixtures.
"Unfortunately, we're dealing with several concerns following the international period," Slot informed the media during his Friday press briefing, noting that both players sustained muscle injuries.
"I don't anticipate Conor being available for the next 22 days," he explained. "Perhaps toward the end of that period, but not during the initial 22 days unless we witness something miraculous, which I doubt. Florian should return after the Forest match, depending on subsequent developments, but his absence shouldn't be prolonged. Jeremie faces a similar timeline.
"He likely won't be ready for the next two to three weeks either. It will be fascinating to see who you all suggest as our right-back option."
Adaptable Szoboszlai Poised to Fill Void
With Joe Gomez continuing to battle fitness concerns, discussion naturally shifted to potentially utilizing Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back. The Hungarian midfielder has delivered outstanding performances throughout 2025-26, excelling in multiple positions, and Slot acknowledged that Liverpool's careful management of Gomez might necessitate deploying Szoboszlai in an unconventional role.
"He [Szoboszlai] excels wherever we position him. That's accurate," Slot observed. "He's performed excellently as a defender and equally well in midfield. Curtis Jones filled that role last campaign. Joe Gomez is capable there, but if I recall correctly, Joe has completed just two full 90-minute matches throughout 2025.
"Therefore, if we aim to maintain his availability longer-term, it might be risky to field him seven times across 22 days. He actually missed training yesterday but we expect him to participate today. [It's] demanding, but fortunately we still have quality players available, and perhaps one or two will need to operate in unfamiliar positions. That's our reality."
Having recorded three victories and seven losses in their previous 10 matches across all tournaments, Liverpool clearly needs to rediscover their rhythm to remain competitive with table-toppers Arsenal in the Premier League and achieve a top-eight position in the Champions League group stage.
Forest, West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds United present four potentially straightforward fixtures, while Liverpool should be expected to defeat Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven in European competition. However, their journey to San Siro against Inter on December 9 will provide a genuine examination of the Reds' development.