Liverpool's Injury Crisis: Which Stars Will Miss the Blockbuster Man City Showdown?
A massive showdown takes center stage in Sunday's Premier League fixtures as attention focuses on Anfield.
Liverpool host Manchester City on Merseyside in what was promoted as a championship clash before the season commenced. This description still holds for City as they chase Arsenal, but Liverpool's goals are far more humble.
The Reds are merely looking to secure Champions League qualification after their catastrophic title defense and they face difficulties finishing in the top five—almost certainly sufficient for entry to Europe's elite tournament.
A win this weekend would provide a tremendous lift to their prospects but City will, as usual, present tough opposition. Arne Slot's injury list creates additional complications for this clash of titans, with Liverpool lacking crucial players for the forthcoming encounter.
Here's the current Liverpool injury update before City's visit.
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak
Club-record Premier League acquisition Alexander Isak continues to be unavailable for Sunday's match and remains far from his return. The Swedish striker fractured his leg during the 2–1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur shortly before Christmas and later had an operation.
Luckily for Liverpool, Hugo Ekitiké's excellent performances have compensated for Isak's unavailability, but the former Newcastle United striker is expected to stay out until April at minimum. There's a reasonable possibility he'll appear before the season concludes, however.
Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong has suffered terrible injury fortune since joining Liverpool and another period on the treatment table was confirmed following the 6–0 thrashing of Qarabağ. He was substituted just minutes into the match after suffering a groin problem.
Although the injury wasn't as severe as initially thought, Frimpong has been declared unavailable for Sunday's fixture and his absence may continue for several weeks.
Conor Bradley
Conor Bradley
Liverpool face a right-back crisis after Frimpong joined long-term casualty Conor Bradley in the medical room. Hurt during the scoreless stalemate with Arsenal, a knee problem will sideline the Northern Ireland international for the rest of the campaign.
Bradley had an operation to address the problem and it's unclear precisely when he'll return to competitive action.
Joe Gomez
Joe Gomez
The encouraging development for Liverpool is that Joe Gomez might be ready for City's arrival. He's been absent from recent matches with an injury sustained against Bournemouth but Slot has indicated he could feature in Sunday's squad.
"With Joe, we have a little bit of hope that he might train Saturday," Slot revealed in his pre-match press conference. "So, not available to start but maybe available to help the team if needed during the game because, as you already know, there are not that many defenders available at the moment."
Giovanni Leoni
Giovanni Leoni
Giovanni Leoni's first appearance ended catastrophically as he was removed after suffering an ACL rupture in the Carabao Cup triumph over Southampton in September.
The 19-year-old has been sidelined for the entire season and will aim for a return at the start of next campaign, though a specific comeback date hasn't been established.