BREAKING NEWS: Liverpool most important player ruled out of Man United clash due to injury sustained in training today as Arne slot confirmed – Big opportunity for Man united to secure their champions League spot tomorrow
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has revealed that Milos Kerkez is a minor injury doubt for Sunday’s Premier League fixture with Manchester United.
The Reds travel to Old Trafford for this weekend’s main event knowing that all three points could secure their place in next season’s Champions League, so long as other results go their way.
Arne Slot’s men lie fourth in the Premier League table, eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and nine clear of Bournemouth, meaning that they will be assured of a top-five finish if they win and the South Coast duo drop points.
However, the reigning champions do not head to the Theatre of Dreams in tip-top shape fitness-wise, as Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Jayden Danns and Wataru Endo are all out of contention.
Speaking to reporters in his pre-game press conference, the Dutchman confirmed that Kerkez also had to withdraw from Wednesday’s training session due to a niggle, but he is optimistic that the Hungarian will be OK for Man United.
Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez fresh injury doubt for Man United clash
“Milos has had some niggles, left the training pitch not yesterday but the day before. But I expect him to either train today or tomorrow,” Slot told the media.
Kerkez may be facing an uphill battle to displace the departing Andrew Robertson from the XI anyway, after the Scotland international scored Liverpool’s second goal in their 3-1 triumph over Crystal Palace last weekend.
Third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman also played a starring role in that victory, making five saves in the absences of Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili, and the Englishman could be required again as Alisson is yet to resume team training.
Asked for an update on the latter, Slot replied: “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.”
Should Alisson and Kerkez both miss out, Liverpool would be without nine players for the clash with the Red Devils, although there is hope over the former’s availability.
Arne Slot drops new Alisson hint for Liverpool vs. Man United
The Liverpool boss also suggested that he would be ready to throw Alisson back into the starting XI right away, given the lesser demands placed on goalkeepers compared to outfielders.
“I think there’s a difference between a goalkeeper and a player. If a player hasn’t trained for a few weeks, players need to run much more than goalkeepers do,” Slot added.
“I don’t think the issue with a player is when he’s out for four or five weeks that he forgot to know how to play football, it’s usually that the fitness levels are not at the levels to play at this intensity that the Premier League is asking. So, there’s a difference between a goalkeeper and an outfield player.”
Should Alisson be cleared to feature on Sunday, the Brazilian could also be facing Man United for the last time as a Liverpool player, as he has been heavily linked with a transfer to Juventus in recent days.
The Reds have reportedly identified four Alisson replacements should they part ways with the 33-year-old, whose contract expires next summer.
