‘He could be available’ – Arne Slot hints at major injury return for Liverpool before FA Cup tie
Arne Slot has hinted at a possible comeback for Florian Wirtz in Liverpool’s FA Cup clash against Wolves on Friday night.
The 22-year-old German attacking midfielder has been sidelined for the Reds’ previous three games due to a back issue that arose before their recent victory at Nottingham Forest. His absence was particularly felt in the 2-1 Premier League loss at Molineux earlier this week, where Liverpool struggled to create chances without his flair and vision.
In his pre-match press conference on Thursday, the Liverpool manager offered a cautious but optimistic update on Wirtz’s recovery. Slot explained that the player trained partially with the group the day before and progressed further in his rehabilitation. “Let’s see how he is today,” he said. “In the best-case scenario, he could be available for a few minutes tomorrow.”
Slot also confirmed that, apart from those dealing with longer-term injuries, the rest of the squad is fit and ready for the fifth-round tie at Molineux, which offers a chance to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
While the head coach has opened the door to Wirtz featuring, his comments were tempered with caution—emphasizing that any involvement would likely be limited to a short substitute appearance at best.
Given the upcoming tough Champions League trip to Galatasaray on Tuesday, it’s understandable if Liverpool opts to hold back their number 7 for that match, allowing extra recovery time to ensure he’s fully sharp for the bigger fixture in Istanbul.
Wolves, who managed to contain Liverpool effectively in the league encounter without Wirtz’s creativity causing problems, would surely welcome his absence again on Friday.
Ultimately, it appears Slot would only call upon the former Bayer Leverkusen star if truly required in the cup game. Still, this latest update is encouraging, showing that the game-changing talent is close to making his return for a Liverpool side that has missed his influence.
