“There’s hope…” – Arne Slot hints at positive injury update for Liverpool ahead of Man City clash

Arne Slot hopeful Joe Gomez could feature against Manchester City
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is optimistic that Joe Gomez might be available for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City.

The 28-year-old defender was forced off during the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth after an accidental collision with Alisson Becker and subsequently missed victories over Qarabag and Newcastle.

With long-term absentees Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, and Jeremie Frimpong joining the injury list early in the 6-0 win over Qarabag, Slot has recently had to deploy Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, and Dominik Szoboszlai in defensive roles.

Ahead of the City game, Slot told the Liverpool Echo: “Jeremie Frimpong won’t be available for the weekend. We’re hopeful Joe Gomez can train on Saturday and may be able to help in the game because our defensive options are limited.”

A potential Gomez return would be a huge boost for Liverpool, who have been forced to fill gaps at the back with midfielders. While his participation isn’t guaranteed and caution may be required given his injury history, even having him on the bench would help ease the defensive crisis.

The squad has had its first free midweek since Christmas, offering some recovery time ahead of a busy seven-day stretch with three matches. Despite talk that Pep Guardiola’s side aren’t as dominant as before, Manchester City still have a potent attack featuring Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush, Antoine Semenyo, and Jeremy Doku. This could mean Liverpool’s right-back is either playing out of position (likely Szoboszlai) or returning from injury if Gomez starts.

Slot now faces a key selection decision, but if Gomez is fit, it would significantly relieve the defensive depth issues that have troubled Liverpool throughout much of the season.