ไทย
English
中國人
Offsetting the positive news of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak being fit for Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal against Manchester City, Arne Slot confirmed that starting goalkeeper Alisson will not be back in action until "towards the end of the season."
The Brazilian goalkeeper sat out Liverpool's last match before the March international break with a hamstring injury of undisclosed severity. Alisson himself suggested a prolonged spell on the sidelines, and Slot has now confirmed those fears.
"He won't be available for the Paris Saint-Germain fixtures either," the Liverpool manager admitted. "He'll be sidelined for a while longer. We expect him to be fit again towards the end of the season."
This timeline at least means Alisson won't miss the World Cup, but it represents a significant setback for his club heading into a critical run of matches. Following the quarterfinal showdown with City at the Etihad, Liverpool must navigate both legs of their Champions League quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain before the first Merseyside derby at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Liverpool close out the season with matches against their closest rivals for Champions League spots. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa all still remain on the schedule. How many of those fixtures Alisson will feature in is yet to be determined.
Nevertheless, aside from this concerning setback, Slot had plenty of positive news to share in his injury update.
Liverpool's Returning Stars for Huge Man City Clash
Mohamed Salah
Salah will make his return to the pitch this weekend for the first time since announcing his upcoming departure. The outgoing star sat out the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion with a muscular complaint, which he appears to have recovered from after being given rest by Egypt during the international break.
Slot showed no signs of concern that Salah's attention had wavered since news of his exit broke. "Mo has always given his all for this club," the Dutch manager stated. "What has happened since he made the announcement is exactly what he deserves."
Alexander Isak
The most eagerly anticipated returnee is also the one Slot was most cautious about. "It would definitely be too soon to expect him in the starting eleven," Liverpool's boss stated plainly when asked about Isak's fitness.
"He trained with us yesterday for the first time and today for the second time after exactly 101 days," he added. "So it will take some time before we can give him significant minutes. We'll make sure we manage his return properly, but it's a very positive thing to have him back on the training pitch. Having him available for matches would be even better, that's for certain."
Slot was especially mindful of how extra time in Saturday's cup tie could place too much strain on Isak, who appears ready for little more than a brief substitute appearance. "Maybe a few minutes," was as far as the manager would commit, "but let's see how things develop."
Jeremie Frimpong
While Salah and Isak's returns had been widely reported, confirmation of Jeremie Frimpong's availability came as a pleasant surprise.
The Dutch right back hobbled off during international duty in March, raising concerns about yet another crisis in what has been a persistently troublesome position for Slot this season. However, the former Feyenoord boss confirmed that Frimpong had returned to full training following that worrying incident.
Once again, though, Slot urged restraint, pointing to Frimpong's inability to play three full 90-minute matches within seven days — the kind of schedule Liverpool are set to face in the weeks ahead.
"Another tricky and fascinating decision to make — how many minutes in which game," Slot reflected. "Because the fixtures come around so quickly and, as we know, we don't have eight right backs to choose from. It's an interesting challenge, but it's one I've been dealing with for almost the entire season, so I'll find a solution."