Arne Slot Provides Injury Updates Ahead of Manchester City Clash
With fixtures coming thick and fast, Arne Slot barely had time to reflect on Liverpool’s draw against Aston Villa before addressing the media ahead of their showdown with Manchester City. The manager provided key injury updates, starting with Cody Gakpo.
“Let’s see, I hope he’s available, but I’m not 100% sure. He hasn’t trained with the team yet—maybe a little today. It’ll be a close call,” Slot revealed.
Next, he discussed Conor Bradley, who picked up a knock at Villa Park. The outlook wasn’t promising:
“No, he still has to come in, so we don’t know yet. I’d be completely surprised if he’s involved against City or Newcastle. You can assume that’s not going to happen.”
On Joe Gomez, Slot confirmed a more serious setback:
“Joe had surgery for his hamstring injury, so he’ll be out for a long time—maybe back just before the end of the season.”
Defensive Concerns Grow
Slot also addressed the fitness of Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold, both returning from injuries:
“They’re not injured but coming back from injury, so they won’t play 90 minutes five times in 15 days—it’s too risky, as we saw with Conor Bradley.”
With two key defensive options sidelined and Alexander-Arnold needing to be managed carefully, Liverpool face a challenging period with limited depth at the back.
Managing the Squad and Key Decisions Ahead
Up front, Darwin Núñez could feature against City, particularly with Gakpo and Jota not fully fit. After his costly miss at Villa Park and recent social media controversy, the match could be an opportunity for him to prove his critics wrong.
Some fans may lament Liverpool’s lack of defensive reinforcements in January, but Jarell Quansah has shown he can cover at right-back if needed.
With five matches in 15 days before a lighter March schedule, Liverpool will hope to navigate this crucial period without further injuries—while collecting vital points in the title race.
