Liverpool will be without two key players for their crucial showdown against Aston Villa, posing a major selection dilemma for Arne Slot.
On Sunday, the Reds narrowly avoided a setback in their title pursuit with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield. Now, they face back-to-back away games against Aston Villa and Manchester City, two challenging fixtures that could define their season.
Ahead of the first of these matches, Slot has confirmed that he expects to be without two key players, which could be a significant blow.
Since taking over from the legendary Jurgen Klopp in the summer, Slot has overseen notable improvements in several players’ performances. One such player is Cody Gakpo, who has flourished under his fellow Dutchman, tallying 16 goals and five assists in 36 appearances across all competitions this season.
However, Slot has confirmed that Gakpo will be unavailable for Wednesday’s clash with Villa. Additionally, central defender Joe Gomez remains sidelined with a long-term hamstring injury sustained during the FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle.
“I don’t think either [Gakpo or Gomez] will be available tomorrow,” Slot stated.
“Cody is close to returning, but Joe will be out for quite a while. His hamstring injury will keep him sidelined for several weeks.”
Speaking about Gomez, Slot added: “He’s doing everything he can to rejoin the team and has been working incredibly hard. Unfortunately, in his first game back, after just a few minutes, he made a sprint and is now out again for weeks.
“It’s always tough for a player to deal with injuries, especially at this stage of the season when everyone is eager to be involved. He’ll miss a big chunk of the run-in, but we expect him to return towards the season’s final stretch. Surgery might be necessary, but we still need to evaluate that.”
Gakpo’s absence forces Slot to decide who will fill the left-wing role, a position the Dutch forward has excelled in recently. Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez are both options, but with neither player hitting top form lately, Gakpo’s injury has come at an unfortunate time for Liverpool.
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