Liverpool return to Premier League action tomorrow afternoon when they host Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
The Reds are desperately seeking consistent form after a rocky start to their title-defending campaign, and Arne Slot will be feeling the pressure to inspire a performance this weekend.
Before the international break, Liverpool suffered their fifth league defeat of the season at the hands of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, resulting in a significant drop in their position in the top-flight table, where they currently occupy eighth place.
Indeed, it is only November and there are still opportunities to reignite their season both domestically and in the Champions League.
The summer transfer window saw a strong focus on rebuilding the attacking threat after the departure of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and the tragic loss of Diogo Jota.
Liverpool spent an eye-watering £450m on their new additions, with two defensive signings in the form of Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni, who has since suffered an ACL injury that has ruled him out for up to 12 months.
As a result, the depth in the defensive line is incredibly thin at present, and Slot’s latest press conference has revealed that the situation has only worsened.
Speaking in his pre-match media duties this morning, the Dutch manager confirmed that both Florian Wirtz and right-back Conor Bradley will be unavailable due to muscle injuries.
Slot revealed:
“We do have some issues after the international break.”
“Conor Bradley is not able to play and Florian Wirtz is unable to play. That’s far from ideal.”
“Both are muscle issues. I don’t expect Conor to be part of the upcoming 22 days, maybe at the end, unless a miracle happens, which I don’t expect.”
“Florian shouldn’t be that long.”
Who will start for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest?
Both absences are a major blow to the first team, as Bradley has been the starting option at right-back while Wirtz is still striving to make his mark.
The pair are key to the club’s long-term plans, and their absence will only add to the challenges on Merseyside, especially with Slot still working to fine-tune his team for better results.
On top of that, the festive period can be season-defining at both ends of the Premier League table as the title race and relegation battle begin to take shape ahead of the turn of the year.
Bradley is the more immediate concern.
With Leoni and Frimpong injured, the defence is already carrying a heavy load with limited numbers.
It remains unclear whether Slot will deploy Joe Gomez at right-back or push Dominik Szoboszlai deeper to cover in the back four on Saturday.
Either option is far from ideal, as Gomez only returns to training today after missing yesterday’s session, while Szoboszlai’s influence is reduced when he is shifted out of midfield, where he performs at his best.
With that being said, the complications and hurdles continue to mount for Liverpool and Slot.
It will be important for the manager to show resilience and instil confidence in his squad to navigate this congested period without compromising on performance quality.
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