Arne Slot confirms major triple injury boost for Liverpool ahead of Tottenham showdown

 

 

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has offered an encouraging update on Dominik Szoboszlai’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s pivotal trip to Tottenham Hotspur. The Reds are also set to be boosted by the return of two right-backs, while Cody Gakpo’s injury prognosis has improved.

 

Szoboszlai and Joe Gomez both picked up knocks during last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield — a result that extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run in all competitions to five games. Slot’s side will look to make it six in north London, and speaking at his press conference on Friday, the Dutchman confirmed that while Gomez will miss out, Szoboszlai is edging closer to a return and could even start if fully fit.

 

Liverpool will also welcome back Conor Bradley following suspension, along with Jeremie Frimpong, who has returned to full training after recovering from the muscle issue he suffered in October’s 5-1 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

 

“Joe won’t be in the squad this weekend,” Slot said. “Dominik trained yesterday for the first time, doing parts of the session, so we’ll see how he feels today and tomorrow. Jeremie is back in the squad as well.”

 

On whether Szoboszlai could start, Slot added: “It depends entirely on how he gets through today’s training and the feedback from the player and medical staff. If he completes everything and feels comfortable, he can start. If not, we’ll talk it through. He’s been a regular starter for me over the past year and a half, and based on his performances, he would start if he’s completely fit.”

 

Slot also shared positive news on Gakpo, who underwent scans earlier this week. While the forward will miss both this weekend’s match and the following home game against Wolves, his return could be earlier than first feared.

 

“The scan looked promising, so we’re less concerned than we were a week or two ago,” Slot explained. “He may return sooner than we initially expected, but not for this weekend or next week.”

 

There were no further updates on Wataru Endo, while Giovanni Leoni continues his recovery from a long-term injury. The Tottenham clash will also be Liverpool’s first match since Mohamed Salah left to join his national team at the Africa Cup of Nations.