A combined total of seven players look set to miss Saturday’s Premier League match between Liverpool and Fulham, as the impact of a congested season is laid bare. Arne Slot has been handed a brutal hand since the Reds returned to action off the back of the March international break.
The club were dumped out of the FA Cup quarter-finals by Manchester City last weekend following a 4-0 rout at the Etihad Stadium, before the first leg of their semi-final battle with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday spelled further disaster. After 90 minutes in that game, Liverpool made the long trip back from the Parc des Princes 2-0 losers.
And while the Reds will have a mountain to climb for next week’s reverse on home soil, given the ridiculous form PSG are currently enjoying, their attention will now be fully focused on this weekend’s domestic encounter with Fulham.
With just seven games to go, Liverpool sit fifth in the Premier League standings, five points shy of the top four. Should the club hope to once again enjoy European football for 2026/27, then either a strong finish in the English top flight or winning the Champions League outright is needed – the latter looking increasingly likely considering this week’s result.
Slot’s crucial surge in the Premier League will need to start this weekend, but it’s no secret that his side have been hampered by a number of high-profile injuries as of recent.
Despite Alexander Isak returning against PSG with limited minutes – his first competitive clash since fracturing his leg against Tottenham in December – four others will spend a little more time on the sidelines before they are fit to play.
Alisson Becker has been working hard to recover from a recent issue which has kept him out of action since Liverpool’s mid-march clash with Brighton ahead of the break. However, Saturday’s head to head with Fulham comes as a little too soon.
Slot said of the goalkeeper during his pre-match press conference: “We don’t get the player back yet but Alisson is working hard to get his way back. He won’t be in this weekend.”
Conor Bradley, meanwhile, is expected to remain out for the rest of the season as a result of a knee injury sustained against Arsenal at the turn of the year, while Wataru Endo faces a similar fate through a foot injury picked up against Sunderland in February.
Giovani Leoni is also yet to feature for his club since his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September, where he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Isak could also see his game time limited once more as he continues to ease his way back into the picture.
However, Liverpool are not the only side carrying injuries headed into this weekend’s game. When asked if fans could see Kevin again before the end of the season, meanwhile, Marco Silva explained: “Lets see. Okay, he is very positive, so we have to go step by step.
“For the next one no, but we have seven games to play. Lets see if at least we can have him or not. But right now, not sure about it.”
The Brazilian is currently sidelined through an foot injury he picked up against Sunderland in February. Elsewhere, Silva has confirmed that Kenny Tete will not play a part as he continues to recover from a foot issue of his own, while Harrison Reed will also miss out as a result of a knee injury.
Be the first to comment