Liverpool could be without a number of key players when its season resumes with the Merseyside derby at Anfield next week.
The Reds have been missing Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez in recent weeks, but while they would have been handy players to have had around, their absences have not been particularly keenly felt.
When Liverpool’s campaign gets back under way next week, though, it could be without a host of key players whose absences would be significantly more notable than Bradley’s and Gomez’s.
Trent Alexander-Arnold sustained an ankle injury during the loss to Paris Saint-Germain two weeks ago and will not return any time soon, with Arne Slot saying that he is hopeful that the right-back will be back before the end of the campaign.
And the Reds have been handed two potential further blows in recent days, with Ryan Gravenberch having withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for the Nations League games against Spain due to injury, and Alisson having returned early from international duty after suffering a head injury in Brazil’s game against Colombia.
Gravenberch seemingly sustained a problem during the Carabao Cup final defeat by Newcastle, as a Netherlands statement published last week said: “The midfielder is still suffering from an injury sustained over the weekend that prevents him from playing in the matches against Spain.”
Alisson, meanwhile, was involved in a clash of heads with Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez last week and was subsequently sent back to England for further assessment, missing Brazil’s game against Argentina as a result.
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It has since been confirmed that Alisson did not suffer a serious injury, but if there are any concerns that he is not 100 per cent fit by the time the clash with Everton rolls around, Slot will likely choose Caoimhin Kelleher as his starting ‘keeper.
Jarell Quansah will probably continue as an auxiliary right-back, but the most interesting decision that Slot might have to make is who will play instead of Gravenberch, should the Dutchman not be fit to play.
Wataru Endo is the only other genuine holding midfielder in the squad, but it seems more likely that Slot would drop Alexis Mac Allister into a deeper role, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones completing the midfield trio.
How Liverpool could line up vs Everton with injuries: Kelleher; Quansah, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Jota.
