Liverpool, fresh from its Premier League title win, returned to training on Wednesday. The Reds secured the championship on Sunday with a resounding 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men needed just one point to officially clinch the league but did so in style, securing the title with four games still to play and a comfortable 15-point lead over second-placed Arsenal.
With the title in the bag, it will be interesting to see if Slot gives some of Liverpool’s younger and fringe players more game time before the season concludes. The newly-crowned champions will face Champions League hopefuls Chelsea in their first match as title holders this coming Sunday.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher had previously suggested that Conor Bradley should replace Trent Alexander-Arnold for the rest of the season, given the latter’s contract situation and expected move to Real Madrid.
However, due to Bradley’s injury, Slot was forced to start Alexander-Arnold against Tottenham, despite the England international only recently returning from a six-week lay-off.
The Northern Ireland international’s return to training was anticipated this week, yet his absence from Liverpool’s Wednesday session casts doubts over his availability for the upcoming Chelsea clash.
He wasn’t the only absentee; Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton were also missing from the AXA Training Centre pitches.
Slot had expressed optimism about Gomez’s potential return for the season’s concluding fixtures following his hamstring surgery in February.
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“If his recovery goes well, he would be able to in the last one or two games of the season but he is still not training with us yet,” Slot remarked. “But he is coming closer and closer to training with the team.
“But then he has been out for a long time… I think he will be available in the last one, two or three games if his recovery goes the way as planned.”
However, Gomez’s absence from Wednesday’s team training suggests his comeback may not be imminent.
With the Stamford Bridge fixture not until Sunday, there’s still time for both players to rejoin training — if they’re ready — and demonstrate their fitness ahead of Liverpool’s next match.
Slot is expected to provide an injury update during his pre-match press conference scheduled for Friday.
While the trio were not seen in training, young guns Trey Nyoni and James McConnell were both spotted. If Slot decides to give his younger players some game-time, they are well-positioned to be included.
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Similarly, Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo will all be looking to impress Slot after training as usual on Wednesday. The trio have yet to start a Premier League game this season.
Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota will also be vying for starting positions upfront, having watched Luis Diaz chosen through the middle for Liverpool’s last two matches.
Following the Reds’ journey to Stamford Bridge, Liverpool will welcome Arsenal in their second-last home match of the season on May 11.
They then head to Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday, May 19, before wrapping up the campaign at home against Crystal Palace on Sunday 25 May.
There could be a customary guard of honor in all four matches while, after their clash with the Eagles, they will be presented with the Premier League trophy.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
