Liverpool travel to Manchester United this weekend. Arne Slott is trying to deny the Red Devils any chance of winning a league double in the Champions League race.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was sent off with a minor injury in the last game against Crystal Palace (Image: PA)
Manager Arne Slott has confirmed that Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker will miss Sunday’s game against Manchester United. The Reds’ injury list increased after the Egyptian was sent off against Crystal Palace, sparking fears that his season and career at Anfield was over.
However, the Premier League champions confirmed this week that the 33-year-old’s symptoms were minor and he would be back for the final game of the season. Liverpool have four games remaining, starting with a trip to their strong rivals who lead by three points in the race for Champions League qualification.
The Reds will still be without Alisson, as he has suffered another injury and has been forced to miss the last six games. Giorgi Mamadashvili suffered a foot injury during the Merseyside derby, forcing third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to make his Premier League debut for Liverpool.
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“As we know from Mo, he always works incredibly hard, both when he’s doing well and when he’s injured, to get back as quickly as possible. That’s what he’s working on right now. Usually he’s recovered better than a normal player with a minor injury. Certainly he’s had a minor injury. We expect him to be back by the end of the season, but he won’t be back on Sunday.”
“It’s a bonus for all the players who come back. Add Mo to this and it becomes even longer. Ali hasn’t trained yet but he’s very close to training with us. We have to hear from the medical staff if he can train today, tomorrow or early next week. We’re very close but we don’t want to take any risks.”
“There’s a difference between keepers and players. They need to run more. So if the problem with outfield players is when they’re in the game, it’s fitness level. So goalkeepers have a different problem.”
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Slott continues to come under pressure from factions of the Anfield fan base after a hard-fought title defense. Having been excluded from the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League, the race to finish in Europe’s elite ranks has become paramount, but some argue that a top-five finish is still not enough to keep them in the spotlight at Anfield next season.
The Dutchman is also unaffected by injury problems to key figures such as Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, who have been forced to navigate difficult waters on Merseyside.
The attacking duo, and fellow summer signing Florian Wirtz, have only played 119 minutes together on the pitch. Ekitike is in the early stages of rehabilitation from a ruptured Achilles tendon, while Isak is on his way back to action after scoring his first Anfield league goal against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Alexander Isak scores his first Premier League goal at Anfield in the win over Crystal Palace (Image: Getty Images)
Slott added: “I’m happy to have Alex back. Mo is a great scorer but he’s not available, but Alex and the other players haven’t been scoring as much as I think they can… It’ll be back to normal for the better at some point.”
Liverpool could be level on points with United if they win on Sunday, but personal pride and bragging rights are also at stake after Harry Maguire ended the Red Devils’ nine-year wait for victory at their rivals in October.
For Woodman, it will be a return to the scene of the crime after he faced criticism during his visit to Manchester in 2021 when his mistakes led to the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.
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