Liverpool will aim to jump to fourth in the Premier League standings when they lock horns with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday evening. Arne Slot has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Mohamed Salah is the latest absentee after sustaining a hamstring injury in the Premier League game against Crystal Palace last weekend. The Egyptian international has joined Giorgi Mamardashvili (knee), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), Conor Bradley (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle), and Hugo Ekitike in the treatment room.
Additionally, Slot is sweating over Milos Kerkez’s fitness, as the Hungarian international is recovering from a knock. Kerkez and Alisson Becker (unspecified) face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Slot provided fitness updates on Alisson, Kerkez, and Salah.
The Liverpool head coach said, “Ali hasn’t trained with us yet. [He is] very close to training with us, I have to hear today from the medical staff if he is able to train today or either tomorrow or otherwise the start of next week. He is very close but of course, also we don’t want to take any risks, because that’s never what you do with a player and that’s also not what we do now.”
“Milos has had some niggles, left the training pitch not yesterday but the day before. But I expect him to either train today [Friday] or tomorrow. As we know from Mo, he’s always working incredibly hard during the season when he’s fit, but definitely also when he is injured to be back as soon as possible.”
“That’s what he’s trying now so well. Usually he’s earlier fit than other players after a minor injury – because he has a minor injury. We expect him indeed to be back in the final part of the season, but not for Sunday.”
Freddie Woodman should continue to deputise for Alisson Becker between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Manchester United on Sunday. The backline will feature Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the double pivot, with Florian Wirtz reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Alexander Isak will lead the line for the away side against Manchester United, with Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Woodman; Jones, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
