Arne Slot reveals Joe Gomez received an injection as he gives his latest update before Liverpool’s clash with PSV.
Arne Slot has suggested that Joe Gomez will be fit for Liverpool’s Champions League meeting with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.
Despite injuries to both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, Gomez remained on the bench during Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, with Dominik Szoboszlai surprisingly deployed at right-back instead. Aside from two full outings in the Carabao Cup, the club’s longest-serving player has featured for only 58 minutes this season, mostly in brief substitute appearances.
Slot confirms Gomez’s readiness
Speaking in his pre-PSV press conference, Slot was asked about Gomez’s status for the match.
Via the Liverpool Echo, he explained: “He’s one of the five defenders we have. He had an injection in his knee last week; it’s not normal to feel nothing after that. Aside from my choice to use Dom in that role, it’s also because Joe hasn’t been fully fit. He’s in the squad tomorrow but couldn’t train every day last week.”
If not now, when?
Given Liverpool’s injury issues in defence, Gomez may be wondering when he’ll finally get a consistent opportunity under Slot. The manager opted not to risk him against Forest due to that knee concern, but he has now been cleared for the PSV clash. Whether he starts remains the key question until the team sheets drop 75 minutes before kick-off.
Despite Gomez’s extensive experience at right-back (104 appearances), Slot appears to prefer Szoboszlai there, even though the Hungarian has played in that position only a handful of times. While Szoboszlai’s versatility is an asset, he is undoubtedly more effective in midfield — especially with Florian Wirtz a doubt after missing training today.
Should Szoboszlai return to midfield, Gomez would be the natural choice at right-back, and he has delivered strong performances whenever called upon this season. With Liverpool short on defensive options, we believe he has more than earned a starting place against PSV.